Greater than 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is not going to be launched to be used in Canada.
The vaccines have been quarantined in April earlier than they have been distributed to provinces as a result of Well being Canada was knowledgeable the drug substance in them was manufactured on the Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore, the place there have been high quality management points.
J&J needed to throw out greater than 15 million doses of vaccine made on the plant in early April after it was found staff had combined up the formulation with one for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which was additionally being made there.
Well being Canada says the substance within the 310,000 Canadian doses was manufactured concurrently these contaminated ones and the division cannot decide in the event that they meet Canada’s requirements.
Consequently, it is not going to be releasing them to be used in Canada.
The division says it’s planning an on-site inspection of the Maryland facility this summer time however, till that’s accomplished, Canada is not going to settle for any product or substances made there.
“Canadians may be assured that any vaccines will solely be launched for distribution as soon as Well being Canada is happy that they meet the division’s excessive requirements for high quality, security and efficacy,” the division mentioned in an announcement late Friday.
Earlier Friday, Joelle Paquette, director basic for Public Companies and Procurement Canada, instructed a briefing that one other unspecified variety of J&J doses are anticipated to reach by the tip of the month. It was not instantly clear the place the second batch is being manufactured or whether or not it is going to be affected by Well being Canada’s choice.
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration additionally introduced Friday that some 60 million doses of the J&J vaccine from the Baltimore plant must be tossed.
