Biden Expects U.S. to Have COVID-19 Vaccines for All Adults by End of May

President Biden on Tuesday projected that the United States would have sufficient COVID-19 vaccines for all American adults by the end of May — two months ahead of earlier forecasts — following regulatory authorization of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) one-shot vaccine, reports the Wall Street Journal . He also urged states to prioritize immunization for teachers, school staff, and child-care workers. However, infectious disease specialist Celine Gounder cautioned that the push to inoculate teachers would take vaccines away from higher-risk groups and communities of color. Merck will help produce J&J's vaccine, and J&J said it expects the collaboration to "enhance our production capacity so that we can supply beyond our current commitments." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that a Merck facility will help "fill-finish" the vaccine, while another will help make the product. Under J&J's $1 billion contract with the federal government, the company was supposed to have 12 million doses ready by the end of February, with provisions for J&J to make deliveries up to 30 days late in case of delays.