According to The New York Times, Johnson & Johnson has temporarily halted the production at a major factory that manufactures the COVID-19 vaccine. 

As per the article, the factory in the Dutch city of Leiden ceased production late last year.

J&J, without confirming or rejecting the claim, stated that it has continued to meet delivery deadlines, according to a company representative.

The plant, which is presently producing an experimental vaccine, is anticipated to restart manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine in a "few" months, according to the Times.

According to a J&J representative, the company presently has "millions of doses of our Covid-19 vaccine in inventory."

The spokesperson also added that it continues to fulfill its contractual obligations in relation to the Covax facility and the African Union.

J&J expects sales of its COVID-19 vaccine to be between $3 billion and $3.5 billion in 2022, compared to Pfizer's predicted $32 billion.

The J&J vaccine has been sought after in underdeveloped nations because unlike other shots it does not need shipment in extremely low temperatures. In addition, the vaccine was first marketed as a one-time injection.

Additional factories are being prepared to manufacture the vaccine, but manufacturing is not scheduled to begin until late spring, according to the Times.