Canada won’t use 3 lakh J&J vaccine doses over ‘quality’ issue

To ensure the safety of any future vaccine supply from this facility, Health Canada is planning an on-site inspection, expected to take place later this year

The state-run Health Canada said that it will not use the 3,00,000 Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine doses, which arrived in the country in April due to a possible quality issue.

“To protect the health and safety of Canadians in response to concerns regarding a drug substance produced at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore Maryland, Health Canada will not be releasing the shipment,” the government department said in a statement on Friday.

The moves comes after it emerged that an active ingredient was made at an American facility that has been flagged by the US’ Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).

“The drug substance was manufactured at the time a separate batch of vaccines was contaminated by the components of a different vaccine. Health Canada was unable to determine that this shipment of Janssen vaccines [the arm of J&J that specialises in vaccines and biopharmaceutical technologies] meets the Department’s rigorous quality standards,” the statement added.

“Until this inspection has been completed, Canada will not be accepting any product or ingredients made at this site,” it said. The statement was issued after the US FDA said on Friday that Johnson & Johnson must discard millions of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine that were manufactured at the Baltimore facility. 

The FDA halted production at the Baltimore site after discovering that ingredients from AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine also being produced at the plant at the time contaminated a batch of Johnson & Johnson

Brazil approves Pfizer for kids aged 12 and up

Brazil’s health regulator approved the Pfizer vaccine on Friday for use in children aged 12 and up, though they will likely have to wait months in line for older age groups to be vaccinated first. Supply issues mean the move is mainly symbolic for now. Brazil’s vaccination drive has been hit by shortages and delays.

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17,61,07,846
TOTAL Number OF CORONAVIRUS

CASES IN THE WORLD

38,02,195
Number OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE 

15,97,01,936
Number OF RECOVERED PATIENTS

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