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One Merck & Co. s facility located in Durham is at the receiving end of a $105.4 million federal government investment to aid in the production of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Our Durham, N.C. facility is part of Merck s global manufacturing network. This site is preparing to produce bulk drug substance for the J&J vaccine, a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to ABC11.
JUST IN: Durham’s Merck Vaccine Plant will aid in production of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The partnership between the two pharmaceutical competitors was formally announced at a White House news conference with President Biden and the CEO’s of Merck and J&J.#abc11pic.twitter.com/Tc5WxDRAry Joel Brown (@JoelBrownABC11) March 10, 2021
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UNC epidemiologist Dr. David Weber said the new guidance is fair but studies are still unclear about if people are entirely immune with the vaccine. There cannot be people in any of those bubbles who themselves are not following safe procedures, going to bars and restaurants without masks and not following mitigation procedures nor do you want to do if you have someone in the bubble who is unimmunized who is in the bubble who is at high risk for disease, said Weber.
Dr. Weber said the new CDC guidance is measured but people should still remain in their bubble and not to start gathering with others right away, even if vaccinated.
We hope to increase that number, as we move into the summer months, Dr. Hardesty said.
Dr. Brett Wells, owner of Wells Family Dental Group in Raleigh, said he s going through the online training to be able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. I would like to look back on this time in my life and, I m sure all of us, to be able to say we did everything we could do and how we helped in the pandemic of 2020-2021, Dr. Wells said.
Dr. Wells said he is open to volunteering at a clinic or even providing the vaccine at his offices, if there s enough supply.
The race to vaccinate in North Carolina sees a slight shift Friday in Wake County. County leaders are taking steps to get the vaccine to patients, instead of waiting for patients to get to the vaccine.
The race to vaccinate in North Carolina sees a slight shift Friday in Wake County. County leaders are taking steps to get the vaccine to patients, instead of waiting for patients to get to the vaccine.