GAVI Purchases 200 Million Janssen COVID-19 Vaccines

Geneva-based Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced on May 21, 2021, that it had signed a purchase agreement with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for its single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

The agreement is for a commitment to purchase 200 million doses on behalf of the COVAX Facility, with the goal of them being supplied to Facility participants in 2021.

Gavi stated it 'will continue to assess its needs and remain in discussions with Johnson & Johnson on the potential supply of 300 million additional doses in 2022.'

The Janssen COVID-19 (Ad26.COV2.S) single-shot experimental vaccine leverages Janssen's AdVac and PER.C6® technologies. Janssen’s AdVac® vectors are based on a specific type of adenovirus, which has been genetically modified so that it can no longer replicate in humans and cause disease. 

Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that can cause the common cold, says the U.S. CDC.

Dr. Seth Berkley, the CEO of Gavi, commented in a related press release, “As a one-dose vaccine, the J&J vaccine has particular relevance for places with difficult infrastructure, making it a very important addition to the portfolio.”

Gavi is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize over 822 million children and prevented more than 14 million deaths in 73 lower-income countries.