Question: When can we expect FDA approval for other vaccines?

Answer: The FDA is currently reviewing documentation provided by Johnson & Johnson for its 1 dose vaccine, which is a viral vector-type (for a refresh on vaccine types, see Q&A for 1/21).  The FDA’s Vaccines Advisory Committee will meet later this week (Friday, 2/26) to discuss. FDA’s determination for/against emergency use authorization should come very soon after that meeting.  We could have a third vaccine authorized for use within a week’s time!  The US expects to have 100 million doses by June, although there are only a few million doses in the J&J inventory to start.

The next vaccine likely to undergo FDA review is AstraZeneca’s 2-dose viral vector-type vaccine.  Though the vaccine is already authorized for use by the WHO and other non-US institutions, the FDA is waiting to review data from the large, US-based clinical trial.  These data will likely be available later in March, which would push the timeline for FDA authorization likely to April.  The US has an agreement with AstraZeneca to secure 300 million doses, though I’m not sure how many doses/week would be available for distribution based on manufacturing capacity and global demand.  

Of course, many more vaccine candidates are in development.  According to WHO’s vaccine landscape analysis updated earlier today, 17 additional vaccine candidates are currently in Phase 3 or 2/3 clinical trials.  One of these is Novovax’s 2-dose protein subunit-type vaccine, which is currently being studied in the US, Mexico, and the UK.  Just earlier today, Novovax reported that it had completed enrollment for its trial in the US.  If all goes well, the US could have 110 million doses of the Novovax vaccine by June.