Merck to Help Produce Rival Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved coronavirus vaccine in an effort to expand supply more quickly.
That's according to a Biden administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a speech planned by President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon.
Officials have said J&J faced unexpected production issues with its vaccine and produced only 3.9 million doses ahead of its receiving emergency use authorization on Saturday.
The company is on pace to deliver 100 million doses by the end of June.
The assistance from Merck was expected to help J&J meet its production commitments and expand supply even further.
Merck is based in Kenilworth (Hunterdon County, NJ) and Johnson and Johnson is based in New Brunswick.
LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.