COVID-19: EU relies on BioNTech/Pfizer after Johnson & Johnson vaccine suspension

After the United States suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over blood clot reports, Europe is now heavily relying on doses from Biotech/Pfizer to make up for its stopped Janssen vaccine supply. Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson dispatched its first EU supply earlier this week and was scheduled to send another 50 million single-shot vaccines in a separate delivery by June 2021. The shipment of the jabs was already delayed by the US-based pharmaceutical giant over the production issues, as European Union struck another agreement for an additional 120 million doses to be delivered between July and September, according to EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton’s statement to German broadcasters. However, as the US paused administering of Janssen vaccine as a precautionary measure over safety issues, the 27-bloc EU now desperately waited for Pfizer to ship 50 million doses in an extension to the deal. 

The head of the  European commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU was accelerating its vaccine supply from Pfizer, and the bulk deliveries an estimated 250 million doses are expected to be shipped by the second quarter. She told a press conference that the earlier deliveries might start as early as this month [April], adding that she was in talks with the pharmaceutical company for a new contract for 1.8 billion doses to be delivered between  2022 and 2023. "We need to focus on the technologies that have proven their worth," she said. Further, the EU commission head continued, “As we can see, with the announcement by Johnson & Johnson yesterday, there are still many factors that can disrupt the planned delivery schedules of vaccines.” 

J&J says blood clot cases 'under review'

In an official statement, meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson said that it was aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine.  The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data involving six reported US cases out of more than 6.8 million doses administered. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a “pause in the use of our vaccine,” the Pharma company said. “We have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We will proactively delay the rollout of our Janssen vaccine in Europe,” J&J said. 

(Image Credit: AP)