The U.S. government has determined that the one-dose neo-coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is safe and provides partial protection against the disease.
An analysis released Wednesday (Feb. 24) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was about 66 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe cases of neocoronavirus disease in trials conducted worldwide.
The U.S. company said last month that nearly 44,000 people took part in the trials. Its effectiveness ranged from 66 to 72 percent in the United States and 57 percent in Latin America and in South Africa, where new variants of the virus have emerged.
Although the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be less effective than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, these analyses pave the way for the government to finally approve the emergency use of a third vaccine that is easier to administer.
The FDA’s analysis also said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may help speed up vaccinations because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not require two doses like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
An independent FDA panel will meet Friday to decide whether to approve the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the FDA will then consider whether to authorize its use. The process is the same as that used to approve the Pfizer and Modena vaccines. A final decision is expected within a few days.
The addition of a third vaccine has the potential to boost vaccination campaigns across the United States. Severe cold weather and other logistical problems have slowed vaccinations, while the death toll from the new coronavirus in the U.S. topped 500,000 earlier this week.
Even if the FDA finally approves the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the U.S. vaccine supply will not increase significantly in the near future. Only a few million doses are expected to be ready for delivery in the first week after approval.
Johnson & Johnson told Congress earlier this week that the company hopes to provide 20 million doses by the end of next month and 100 million doses by summer.
So far, about 45 million Americans have received one dose of the previously approved vaccine, and nearly 20 million have received a second dose that is fully protective.
The World health Organization and European countries are also considering Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. The U.S. healthcare products company plans to produce about 500 million doses of the vaccine worldwide by the end of the year.
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