Johnson & Johnson pauses Covid-19 vaccine production 

The only Johnson & Johnson (J&J) facility making the single-shot coronavirus vaccine paused its production late last year, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. 

The pause will be only temporary, according to the company. The plant is expected to make the vaccines again in a few months. 

Other facilities are tasked with producing the vaccine. However, many are pending regulatory approval or are not manufacturing it yet, reported the Times.

Instead of producing the single-shot vaccine, the facility in the Dutch city of Leiden has been working on an experimental but potentially more profitable vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The decision to halt vaccine production has raised concerns about the company’s ability to deliver on vaccine commitments. However, J&J said it still has millions of vaccine doses in inventory and will continue to provide them. 

J&J has already fallen behind on delivering the vaccine to developing countries. Many poorer countries rely on J&J’s vaccine since it does not require very cold refrigeration. 

"We continue to fulfill our contractual obligations in relation to the COVAX Facility and the African Union," J&J said.