Janssen to pledge COVID-19 vaccine to African Union

The announcement follows a contract signed last year with the global vaccine alliance Gavi to deliver up to 500 million doses of JNJ’ adenoviral one-shot vaccine through its COVAX facility to poor African countries. On top of the 220 million doses to be supplied this year through a facility of Aspen Pharmacare at Port Elisabeth, South Africa, Janssen said it will deliver further 180 million doses through 2022 to the African Union's 55 member states. Delivery is expected to start by Q3/2021. In times of growing vaccine nationalism in Northern America and Europe the vaccine delivery at cost price is a strong signal to stand together in the global fight against COVID-19.

"From the beginning of this pandemic, Johnson & Johnson has recognized that no one is safe until everyone is safe, and we have been committed to equitable, global access to new COVID-19 vaccines," said Alex Gorsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson. "Our support for the COVAX Facility, combined with supplementary agreements with countries and regions, will help accelerate global progress toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic."

Johnson & Johnson is committed to ensuring equitable global access to its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use..

Data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study showed that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was well tolerated and demonstrated a 49 percent reduction in symptomatic COVID-19 disease in participants infected with the South African variant B.1.351 of SARS-CoV-2.