What We're Reading: J&J Vaccine Distribution Goal; Amazon's COVID-19 Test Granted EUA; 6 States Open Vaccines to All Adults

J&J Set to Meet Vaccine Distribution Goal

Reported by POLITICO, the Biden administration said last Friday that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is on track to meet its distribution goal of 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by month’s end after reports that it could potentially miss its vaccine delivery deadline. Having sent 4 million of the 20 million doses to states and federal partners, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said the company is due to send the government 11 million more doses this week, with expectations of a significant increase in doses by the end of March to meet its goal.

EUA Granted to Amazon’s COVID-19 Test

The FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Amazon for an at-home nasal swab and PCR-based test for COVID-19, according to STAT. Called the Amazon COVID-19 Collection Kit, the test would allow users to self-test without supervision of a health care professional. The move adds to Amazon’s foray into health care, with its virtual-first health care platform, Amazon Care, announced to be made available to all its workers and to interested private employers by this summer.

Six States Open Vaccination to All Adults

Today, 6 states—Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas—are expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults, with Minnesota, Indiana, and South Carolina to follow later this week. As reported by The New York Times, cases of COVID-19 have risen significantly over the past week, with approximately 15,000 more cases this past Friday compared with the Friday before. Nearly all states have pledged to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1; Northeastern states accounted for about 30% of new US cases in the past 2 weeks.