President Biden also announced that his administration is directing states to prioritize vaccinating teachers, childcare workers, and school staff through the administration’s partnership with pharmacies. Biden said he needs all such educators and support staff to have at least one vaccine shot by the end of March 2021. The President said he will use the Defense Production Act to accelerate the production of equipment, machinery, and supplies. He said he hopes the nation will return to normal by this time next year. Johnson & Johnson started shipping out 4 million doses early Monday morning. It is 6 million less than it’s originally committed to having ready by the end of February 2021. The company expects to deliver more than 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million by the end of June 2021.

It is noteworthy that a senior official of the Biden administration said Merck will dedicate 2 factories to filling and producing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This has the potential to dramatically increase the supply of the vaccine. Merck pulled the plug on the development of its own COVID-19 vaccines in January, following poor results in early-stage studies. The drug-manufacturer said its potential vaccines were well tolerated by patients but generated an inferior immune system response compared with competitors. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has been shown to provide 85% protection against severe COVID-19 by 28 days after vaccination. Millions of Americans are not getting their second dose within the recommended time period for ensuring optimal protection from the virus.