Baltimore Mayor Asks To Buy 300K Johnson & Johnson Vaccines

BALTIMORE, MD — As Baltimore and areas around the country struggle to meet the demand for COVID-19 vaccines due to limited distribution, Mayor Brandon Scott proposed a solution to a manufacturer.

On Monday, Scott said he sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson asking the company to prepare 300,000 doses of its vaccine for Baltimore residents. The city would buy them as soon as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency authorization.

The FDA is slated to meet Feb. 26 to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Janssen Biotech Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

One of the facilities contracted to manufacture the not-yet-approved vaccine is Emergent Biosolutions in south Baltimore.

In Baltimore, only 3.4 percent of Black residents have received a first dose of the vaccine, in part due to the "extraordinarily low supply" of vaccines provided by the state, according to the mayor. About 7.9 percent of the city's population has received a first dose as of Monday, state health data shows.

"Inequity in vaccine distribution is a national disgrace," Scott said in his letter to Johnson & Johnson. "I believed that, combined, the City of Baltimore and Johnson & Johnson can dismantle this challenge and create a national model for equitable vaccine distribution."

He requested a contact person from the drug company as an immediate first step in coordinating the relationship.

As Mayor, my highest priority is keeping Baltimoreans healthy and safe.

Today, I sent a proposal to @JNJGlobalHealth requesting partnership to directly purchase 300,000 vaccines manufactured here in Baltimore and ensure equitable vaccine distribution. Full letter below. pic.twitter.com/X68jR80y8F
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) February 8, 2021

Nearly 49,000 people in Baltimore City have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Maryland Department of Health reported Monday, Feb. 8.

Nearly 17,000 received a second dose of the vaccine, meaning over 2.8 percent of the population has gotten both doses.

Here is a look at statewide COVID-19 vaccination data as of Feb. 8:

More than 38,000 people in Baltimore have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state health data released Monday, which also shows 816 Baltimore residents have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

City health data shows 380 people are hospitalized with the virus in the city, where 87 percent of ICU beds are filled and 86 percent of acute care units are at capacity.

Here is a look at statewide coronavirus data as of Feb. 8: