Biden accelerates vaccination timeline after manufacturing deal

Merck will manufacture doses of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine under an agreement that will move up the timeline for offering shots to most Americans by nearly two months, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday.

The combination of two of the United States' largest pharmaceutical companies could help the Biden administration make good on its goal to produce at least 100 million shots by this summer and would see J&J increase its pace to around-the-clock production.

"About three weeks ago we were able to say that we'll have enough vaccine supply for adults by the end of July. I'm pleased to announced today, as the consequence of a stepped-up process that I've ordered and just outlined, this country will have enough vaccine supply ... for every adult in America by the end of May," Biden said in remarks delivered at the White House.

The availability of vaccines is one piece of the massive effort to protect people against the coronavirus pandemic, along with actually getting shots in arms and assuring people they are safe and effective. In the meantime, Biden urged Americans to keep up with basic health measures such as mask wearing and social distancing.

"We must remain vigilant, act fast and aggressively, and look out for each other," he said.

Biden said his administration helped broker the deal after reports earlier this year that J&J was struggling with production delays and would not meet its original promise to provide 12 million of the single-dose vaccines by the end of February. Just four million were on hand when the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine on Saturday.

But it is unclear when J&J and Merck began talks to collaborate, or if those discussions started under the Trump administration. Asked earlier Tuesday about the timeline, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration made the move to invoke the Defense Production Act to mobilize two Merck factories to help with production. "I’m only conveying what got it across the finish line and I think it’s clear that has only happened very recently," she said.

Health officials have long considered the J&J shot critical to the country's effort to curb the virus because it is given as a single dose and is easier to store than other available vaccines. J&J has assured government officials that it can deliver 20 million doses through March and 100 million by this summer.

The president also announced plans to prioritize educators and childcare professionals for vaccines throughout March to deliver on another high-profile pledge, to have the majority of K-8 schools reopened this spring.

"Right now, an entire generation of young people is on the brink of being set back a year or more in their learning," Biden said.

Under the manufacturing agreement, one Merck plant will “fill-finish” vaccines, or fill vials and package the shots for distribution, while another will help with producing the vaccine itself.

“Merck remains steadfast in our commitment to contribute to the global response to the pandemic and to preparing to address future pandemics,” a spokesperson told POLITICO. The company did not answer questions about how long it would take to begin production and how many shots it expects to contribute. J&J did not respond to request for comment.

But the assistance of Merck, one of the biggest U.S. drug manufacturers — which scrapped its own plans for a coronavirus vaccine in January — could produce millions more shots at a critical time for mass vaccination efforts.

"When we came into office, the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccines to cover adults in America. We rectified that," Biden said. The Trump administration inked deals with five manufacturers to secure at 700 million shots, but not all of those candidates have finished trials; AstraZeneca, for instance, promised 300 million doses but has not filed for U.S. review.

Public health officials and state leaders say that J&J’s vaccine could play a critical role in vaccinating millions of skeptical or hard-to-reach people.

“It could absolutely allow for expanded availability of vaccine in some temporary clinics, some pop-up mobile sites, and those locations that do not have cold storage capacity,” Marcella Nunez-Smith, who heads the White House’s Covid Health Equity Task Force, said during a Monday briefing dedicated largely to promoting the J&J vaccine. “For this vaccination campaign to be successful, the vaccines will have to reach everyone.”

But White House officials and CDC experts also emphasized Monday that the shot would not be specifically directed to mobile clinics, community health centers and other channels aimed at specific populations, for fear that people would misinterpret the shot as different and even inferior to its peers produced by Pfizer and Moderna.

Rachel Roubein contributed to this report.