Nearly half of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines could go to waste as overall vaccination rates across the nation go down, and more doses are being left unused.

So far, 21 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson shot have been sent out to states across the country, and as of this morning, only 11 million have been administered.

CDC data shows most states have administered fewer than half of the J&J doses they've received. The surplus is largely a result of the pause on the vaccine in April. Now, as expiration dates fast approach, the company is working fast to try extending the vaccines’ shelf life. 

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Dr. Anthony Fauci also says the FDA is looking to extend to expiration dates themselves.

"The FDA is looking into that right now, trying to determine if, in fact, the date can be extended or not and if so, can we get them properly utilized, whether its utilized in the United States or elsewhere,” says Fauci. “This is something that the FDA is very much on and looking at it very, very carefully."

The vaccine can currently be stored for up to three months at refrigerator temperatures.