Johnson and Johnson Stocks – Officials: Johnson & Johnson vaccine could double Colorado’s weekly dosage allotment | Colorado Springs News

Colorado’s weekly allotment of vaccine could double next month if the federal government approves the Johnson & Johnson single-dose shot, the state’s chief medical officer said Wednesday.

The state anticipates receiving 90,000 doses of vaccine next week, state officials said at a press conference Wednesday, plus another batch of unknown size to health centers and pharmacies. On top of that, the state could see its weekly shipment jump to 200,000 doses per week in March, should the Food and Drug Administration give emergency approval to Johnson & Johnson, said Dr. Eric France, the state’s chief medical officer.

Improved supply from the two vaccines that have been approved by the FDA — Moderna and Pfizer — could further boost those totals, he said.

“Johnson & Johnson has said that they will provide 100 million doses to the U.S. by June 1, and so if we’re talking about a March, April, May distribution of 100 million doses, that’s roughly 100,000, if not more, coming to the state of Colorado every week,” France told reporters. “So certainly if J&J is licensed, we’ll likely double the number of vaccines we’ll be getting in the month of March, then add to it the extra doses from Moderna and Pfizer, we may go from 100,000 to 200,000 to 300,000 a week.”

France said that Johnson & Johnson applied for emergency approval earlier this month and that the federal committees that will review that request will meet at the end of February. Approval could be given as early as the first week of March. 

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine was found to be 66% effective, which is significantly below Pfizer and Moderna‘s 95%. But it was 85% effective against serious symptoms, and it was more effective in U.S. subjects than in South African and Latin American subjects. The study included subjects who were as young as 18.

That boost would go a long way in accelerating Colorado’s vaccine distribution. Though federal data shows the state has done well in distributing doses in comparison to other states, officials here have long bemoaned the relatively short supply. As of Tuesday morning, more than 556,000 Coloradans — just short of 10% of the total population — have received at least their first inoculation. 

If the new vaccine is approved in early March, it would come just as the state moved into inoculating essential workers, and after the state hopes to have all of its educators vaccinated. At that point, the state also hopes to have reached at least 70% of its most vulnerable population — those over 69 years old. 

As of Wednesday, the state is nearly three-quarters toward that 70% goal.

As part of Colorado’s focus on the equitable distribution of the vaccine, France said the state will be setting aside as much as 15% of its vaccine supply to be distributed exclusively in underserved and minority communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Providers are also required to begin tracking racial and ethnic vaccination data and submit a vaccine equity plan to the state by Feb. 25.

Eighteen “equity clinics” are scheduled for this week, Scott Bookman, the state’s COVID-19 incident commander, said at the press conference. More than 50 are planned for the next two weeks, as well. Twenty-five thousand doses will be distributed in those clinics alone.

France’s comments were the second piece of positive news this week regarding vaccine supply. On Tuesday Gov. Jared Polis said the state will be receiving an additional 27,000 doses through the first three weeks of February.

That’s not all. The addition of the Johnson and Johnson doses, as well as improved supply of Moderna and Pfizer, will be further bolstered by federal programs. Those programs will ship doses to pharmacies and federally qualified health centers, which are particularly important in rural Colorado. Bookman said the state didn’t yet know how much doses those two programs will bring.

The incoming supplies will require more preparation on the part of providers, he added, though he and others have said for weeks that Colorado has the capacity to significantly ramp up its distribution processes.

“We are seeing some very promising information coming from Biden administration about significant increase in supply in coming weeks and coming months,” Bookman said at the press conference. “While we don’t know exactly what that number is going to be, we’re preparing for a significant increase in vaccine. We’re working with providers to ensure they’re prepared to increase their efforts so they’re prepared when they do receive that extra amount.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.