NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., July 9, 2021 – Johnson & Johnson welcomes the U.S. government’s decision to donate an initial 12 million doses of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility.
The United States is sharing the doses via COVAX to multiple lower-income countries across three continents. The first shipment of 1.5 million doses arrived in Afghanistan on July 9, 2021.
In the coming weeks, it is anticipated that the U.S. will allocate a second tranche of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to additional lower-income countries. Separately, the U.S. has already donated 8 million doses of the Company’s vaccine via a series of bilateral agreements with higher-income countries including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and South Korea.
“Equitable global access is at the forefront of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 response. We strongly support the leadership shown by the Biden-Harris Administration in ensuring lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines can be redirected to where public health needs are most pressing,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, Johnson & Johnson. “We believe that a single-shot, easy to distribute COVID-19 vaccine is an essential tool to combat the pandemic globally.”
The dose donations to COVAX were enabled by a tripartite agreement signed recently by the U.S. government, Johnson & Johnson and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. All recipient countries were designated by the U.S. government. Johnson & Johnson is working to support UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) who are leading the procurement process for Gavi/COVAX. The Company is providing the regulatory, supply chain and logistical support needed so that donated vaccines can be delivered to recipient countries as quickly as possible.
The U.S. government’s donations are in addition to Johnson & Johnson’s own commitment to supply up to a combined 900 million single-shot vaccines directly to COVAX and the African Union through 2022.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding development of a potential preventive vaccine for COVID-19. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in the company’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
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