(Adds additional detail and comment from health officials on
call)
By Carl O'Donnell
April 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. government decision to end
production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine at Emergent
BioSolutions Inc's Baltimore manufacturing facility is
not an indication of concerns about its safety or effectiveness
and will not impact the output of doses, a White House official
said on Monday.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
ordered Johnson & Johnson to take charge of production
at the plant that was being used to produce both vaccines.
Emergent was told to stop making AstraZeneca's shot after the
contract manufacturer made an error that ruined 15 million J&J
COVID-19 vaccine doses.
"This is not a decision that in any way has anything to do
with any concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine," White House
COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters during a virtual
news conference.
The AstraZeneca shot, which is being used in dozens of
countries, has been under increased scrutiny over reports of
extremely rare but serious blood clots in the brain in some
people who received the vaccine.
The U.S. manufacturing mistake occurred several weeks ago,
when it was discovered that a batch of J&J vaccine had been
contaminated with ingredients from AstraZeneca's vaccine, the
New York Times reported last week.
J&J on Saturday reiterated that it will deliver 100 million
doses to the government by the end of May. Emergent said on
Sunday would ramp down production of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19
vaccine at the Baltimore plant.
AstraZeneca, whose vaccine has not yet been authorized for
use in the United States, said it will work with President Joe
Biden's administration to find an alternative production site.
"This is a decision that HHS made with Johnson & Johnson and
AstraZeneca in complete collaboration," Slavitt said.
Slavitt also said during Monday's briefing that nearly
one-in-three Americans have had at least one COVID-19 shot and
more than 55% of seniors have been fully vaccinated.
However, average daily coronavirus infections have increased
7% over the previous seven-day period to around 64,000 daily,
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, told reporters on Monday.
The United States has shipped out nearly 208 million
COVID-19 shots and administered more than 165 million, according
to federal data last updated on Sunday.
(Reporting by Carl O'Donnell
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
