Coronavirus

Baltimore Vaccine Plant Had Prior FDA Violations

The mistake could affect up to 15 million doses of the J&J COVID vaccines.

Baltimore Vaccine Plant Had Prior FDA Violations
Mary Altaffer / AP
SMS

We're learning the plant in Baltimore that was involved with a contaminated batch of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines has had prior FDA violations.

Last year, the FDA reported problems it found at the plant operated by Emergent Biosolutions. An investigator found some employees were not properly trained, records weren't properly secured and testing procedures were not practiced correctly.

But about two months after the inspection, Emergent's Baltimore location selected to be part of Operation Warp Speed and was awarded hundreds of millions of dollars to produce Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine.

This week's mix-up affected up to 15 million doses.