The COVID-19 vaccination effort is closer to having a third solution after Johnson & Johnson requested emergency use authorization for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different than the Pfizer and Modern vaccine as it is a single-dose inoculation.
In a statement released Thursday, Johnson and Johnson said if emergency use is granted, it has a goal of supplying 100 million doses by midsummer. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine can be stored under normal refrigeration, 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit.
The single-dose vaccine has shown to be 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 four weeks after the shot is administered. Johnson & Johnson said the vaccine was 72% effective in the United States, 66% in Latin America, and 57% in South Africa.
What health officials have been talking about for weeks is that the vaccine is 85% effective in preventing severe forms of COVID-19, therefore it’s expected that it will help reduce hospitalizations due to COVID-19. And, the efficacy of the treatment looks to increase over time, with no cases in vaccinated participants after 49 days.
