New Single-Dose COVID Vaccine Expected Soon In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — As the state moves forward with its COVID-19 immunization efforts, timelines remain uncertain for when important next steps in the vaccine rollout will take place.

However, it appears as if a third vaccine could soon be in the mix. Authorities are awaiting emergency use authorization at the federal level to approve the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. On Friday, Senior Department of Health Advisor Lindsay Mauldin said that this could happen "hopefully early next week."

The Washington Post reported late Friday the approval could come as early as the weekend. (UPDATE, Saturday, 6:20 p.m.: The FDA on Saturday granted emergency use authorization for the Johson & Johnson vaccine, The Washington Post reported.)

As for how that vaccine will be deployed, how large a shipment will be received, and what impact it will have on the state's vaccination efforts, that remains unclear. Unlike New Jersey, Pennsylvania has declined to give out specific numbers for potential first shipments.

"We're awaiting guidance from the CDC and FDA," Mauldin said. "No allocation decisions will be made until the emergency authorization use is granted."

The FDA met Friday to consider the request from the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant. Johnson & Johnson officials previously said the company could deliver 20 million doses by the end of March.

Once that approval is granted, Mauldin said the Department of Health will work with the bipartisan joint legislative task force on the vaccine to determine how it should be administered. It was suggested by officials at the county level this week that this single-dose vaccine would be prioritized for vulnerable residents who might face significant challenges in coming back for a second dose. That includes the disabled, the elderly, and the homeless.

In the meantime, the state is working with a notably larger number of vaccine doses this week. Some 40,000 more doses were received statewide this week than last week, and Mauldin said this was indicative of a lasting trend.

"The vaccine allocation is definitely changing," she said.

However, doses still remain in extremely short supply. Some 9 million doses are needed to vaccinate the 4.5 million residents in the 1A category. And Mauldin was hesitant to commit to exact dates for when the state might be able to move into the 1B category, a priority group which includes teachers, police officers, and other frontline workers.

"We are seeing more vaccines coming into the commonwealth every week," she said. "So as that continues to move forward, we'll be able to project a little bit better about what the timing looks like."

In the past, officials like Gov. Tom Wolf and former Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine had expressed hopes that the vaccine would be available to the general public in the late spring or early summer. Just weeks ago, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Today show that he believed April would be "open season" for the vaccine, suggesting wide availability by that point.

But with these aspirations appearing less likely as the winter wears on, Mauldin said Friday that "we have to be realistic."

"I don't think we're putting out estimates at this point...I want to be careful not to overpromise."" she said, but noted that the state is "sticking to our goal of this summer" for public availability.

The state remains committed to vaccinating its 1A category first, and, despite the delays, has no plans to prioritize teachers or other essential 1B workers ahead of 1A in the coming weeks.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Karen Wall