Merck to help produce Johnson & Johnson vaccine to speed up supply

The first box containing the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine heads down the conveyor to an awaiting transport truck at the McKesson facility in Shepherdsville, Ky., Monday, March 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, Pool)

Drug maker Merck & Co will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved coronavirus vaccine in an effort to expand supply more quickly, a Biden administration official has confirmed.

The announcement came as the White House looks to speed up production of the single-dose vaccine.