Johnson & Johnson is splitting into two companies, separating the division that sells Band-Aids and Listerine from its medical device and prescription drug business.

Johnson & Johnson will replace Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky with another veteran company executive starting next year.

White House aides said Biden’s first priority is ensuring that Americans are vaccinated before considering distributing doses elsewhere. AdRussia has sent millions of doses of its Sputnik V vaccine to countries around the world, even as it vaccinates its own population. Israel, which has vaccinated more than half of its population with Pfizer vaccines produced in Europe, has also attempted to use vaccine diplomacy to reward allies. Biden's purchasing strategy has come under criticism from nongovernmental organizations who have encouraged the White House to develop clear plans and thresholds for sharing vaccine with the world. So we’re not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe,” acknowledged Biden.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday directed his administration to order another 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, growing a likely U.S. surplus of doses later this year when much of the rest of the world struggles with deep shortages. White House aides said that Biden’s first priority is ensuring that Americans are vaccinated before considering distributing doses elsewhere. Biden's purchasing strategy has come under criticism from nongovernmental organizations who have encouraged the White House to develop clear plans and thresholds for sharing vaccine with the world. “The only way to defeat this virus for good is to defeat it everywhere — and that requires an immediate plan for sharing excess vaccine doses globally,” said Sarah Swinehart, senior director for communications at The ONE Campaign. So we’re not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe,” acknowledged Biden.

Biden will sign the bill into law on Friday, but the White House didn’t wait, turning the bill signing into a three-day event. Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration is aiming to secure an additional 100 million doses of the single-shot vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. He appeared at an event with executives from Johnson & Johnson and Merck, rival companies both producing doses of the new vaccine. The Obama White House secured its passage, but then the Democratic Party took a big hit in the midterm elections. “You’ve got to create an echo chamber and amplify it,” said Adrienne Elrod, a Democratic strategist close to the White House.

Johnson & Johnson began shipping the first doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Monday, providing another tool in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re shipping four million literally as we speak. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third approved for emergency use in the United States, and offers a lifeline for those waiting in line for a shot at eventually getting back to normal. In clinical trials, the company’s vaccine demonstrated a 72-percent efficacy in the United States and was 100-percent effective at preventing COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. The vaccine can also be stored at regular refrigeration levels and requires just one shot.

Johnson & Johnson reported a strong finish to the year, overcoming the disruption of the global pandemic on some parts of its business like medical devices. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson also is testing a two-dose vaccine as a backup and should have results on that in 2021's second half. The pandemic, and the associated deferral of many medical procedures, reduced sales of surgery, vision care and orthopedics products. Prescription drug sales jumped 16.3%, to $12.27 billion, led by immune disorder drug Stelara and cancer drugs Darzelex, Imbruvica and Erleada. For all of 2020, Johnson & Johnson reported revenue of $82.58 billion, up just 0.6% from 2019, and net income of $14.71 billion, which was 2.7% below 2019's net income.

A separate data system operated by state health officials has documented around 2,300 infections among school-age children since Sept. 1. ___MILAN — Italy has tallied 2,548 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily total in five months. — Maryland is reporting zero coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period for the first time since March 28. That doesn’t necessarily mean no COVID-19 deaths occurred in that time frame, because sometimes there is a delay in the submission of a death certificate. ___LONDON — The European Medicines Agency has begun its first review process for an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.