Canada to Discard 300,000 Doses of J&J Covid-19 Vaccine
June 11 2021 - 8:01PM
Dow Jones News
By Paul Vieira
OTTAWA--Canada said late Friday it would discard 300,000 doses
of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine it received in April,
saying health authorities were unable to determine whether the
shipment met safety standards.
Canada halted distribution of the doses after learning the doses
included a substance produced at a Emergent BioSolutions Inc. plant
in Baltimore -- a factory beset by contamination problems. In
April, Canada's health department said the J&J doses would
undergo a safety assessment before they were released for use.
In a Friday evening statement, Canada said the health regulator
was unable to issue a decision on the doses, without elaborating.
Further, it said it would no longer accept Covid-19 vaccine doses
made at Emergent's Baltimore factory, nor would it accept vaccine
doses with ingredients produced at the plant.
"To ensure the safety of any future vaccine supply from this
facility, Health Canada is planning an onsite inspection, expected
to take place this summer," the statement said. A government
representative did not immediately respond to further
questions.
A spokesperson at Emergent wasn't immediately available for
comment about Canada's statement.
Earlier Friday, Gaithersburg, Md.-based Emergent said the Food
and Drug Administration determined that two batches of J&J's
vaccine made at the Baltimore plant were suitable for use. The FDA
also said that it wasn't yet ready to designate the plant as an
authorized manufacturing facility, and "continues to work through
issues there" with J&J and Emergent.
Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 11, 2021 19:47 ET (23:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024