Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot Vaccine To Be Approved
Photo by Daniel Schludi via Unsplash
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the Johnson & Johnson single shot COVID-19 vaccine meets their requirements for emergency use.
HIGH EFFICACY RATE
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 72% effective in the United States when protecting people from moderate to severe cases of COVID-19. The shot is reported to have prevented 100% of hospitalizations and deaths.
Johnson & Johnson released new information which says the vaccine will work more effectively against variant strains of the virus. A contagious variant has been found most notably in South Africa, however the United States has also seen some new strains.
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NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FRIDAY
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet Friday to discuss the trial results. The FDA does not have to abide by their recommendations but is known to do so.
“There were no specific safety concerns identified in subgroup analyses by age, race, ethnicity, medical comorbidities, or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the FDA’s initial analysis said.
The committee is expected to recommend the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION
The FDA says that the vaccine is “consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA’s guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19.”
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were approved for emergency distribution one day after the committee recommended their use. Johnson & Johnson will be the first single shot vaccine in the United States and the only vaccine that does not need to be stored in ultra cold freezers.
Johnson & Johnson plan to send out the vaccine at 36 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit. There will be five doses in each shipment. However, only a few million doses have been manufactured and it is unlikely the company will have enough to begin shipments right away if approved.