US destroys nearly 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine due to quality problems

Pharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions in Maryland (USA) – Photo: CBS LOCAL

According to the newspaper The Hilla report by the US Congress released on May 10 said that the above COVID-19 vaccines were destroyed because the company “did not meet or maintain quality standards”.

About 240 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were destroyed at the facility in late 2020 and early 2021 because of “poor quality control.” 90 million newly produced doses have to be destroyed also for quality reasons. In addition, about 60 million doses were destroyed due to expiry date.

The report alleges Emergent tried to conceal evidence of canceled doses of vaccines from the federal government and other drug companies, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) visited the facility. in February 2021.

Emergent is also accused of denying access to Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices’ quality control staff.

In addition, according to a report by the US Congress, the company’s executives bragged about their manufacturing capabilities to vaccine makers such as Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca, despite the company’s understanding of the “shortcomings”. ” in terms of quality in their production system.

Vaccine production at Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore facility was halted in April 2021 and a congressional investigation was launched.

In November 2021, the Biden administration canceled the contract with Emergent BioSolutions Company.

“Today’s report shows that the company has profited from the pandemic while violating public trust,” said Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the Oversight and Reform Committee.

Representative James Clyburn, who heads the subcommittee to address the COVID-19 crisis, said millions of doses of vaccines destroyed at the facility were “wasted” and accused the company of prioritizing profits in manufacturing. vaccine export.

In a response, Emergent BioSolutions dismissed the report by the US Congress, because it provided no information other than what the company submitted to the regulator.

At the same time, the company also gave a response on the number of vaccines destroyed: “It is difficult to estimate how many doses were actually destroyed. However, equate quality control actions. quantity with the quantity of doses produced indicates a lack of understanding of the biological manufacturing process”.