Mass. receives unexpected 8,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Syringes filled with Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Massachusetts will receive 170,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, including an additional 8,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which were not expected to arrive until the end of the month.

A spokesperson for the state said the unexpected shipment was a “modest increase” in the weekly vaccine shipment, but not significant. The 170,000-dose shipment to the state this week does not include the allocation to the federal pharmacy program or other government-run programs in Massachusetts.

Last week Massachusetts said it expected to receive 155,000 vaccine doses. Another 95,000 first and second doses were allocated to local pharmacies, and 19,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson shot were allocated to federally qualified health centers.

On Monday the state reported that in total it has received 2,836,670 vaccine doses, 89.4 percent of which have been administered.