Expectations from a Single Dose of J&J Vaccine

Studies on the J&J vaccine prove their effectiveness in up to 72 percent in the US.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON – The Covid-19 vaccine from the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) report, which is only one injection, is proven to provide good protection against disease.

The pharmaceutical giant’s early discoveries suggest that the single-dose option may not be as powerful as the two-dose formulas of Pfizer or Moderna. However, the J&J single dose vaccine can still be accepted as a form of protection from the corona virus.

J&J studied its single-dose option in 44,000 people in the US, Latin America, and South Africa. Preliminary results found the injection was 66 percent effective overall in preventing moderate to severe Covid-19. In addition, the first dose is much more protective for up to 85 percent of the most serious symptoms with no serious side effects.

“Gambling with one dose is certainly beneficial,” said the head of global research for Janssen Pharmaceutical J&J unit, Dr Mathai Mammen.

In fact, the vaccine worked better in the US with 72 percent effective against moderate to severe Covid-19 compared with 66 percent in Latin America and 57 percent in South Africa, where the more contagious mutant virus is spreading. Infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the diminished protection against these mutations is a strong warning.

The more viruses allowed to spread, the more chance it has for mutating. Vaccine makers are looking for ways to change their sights if necessary. For now, Fauci stated, the findings are an incentive to vaccinate as many people as possible.

J&J plans to seek emergency use authorization in the US within a week. The company expects to supply 100 million doses to the US by June with one billion doses globally by year-end.

More than 21 million Americans have received the first dose of a Pfizer or Moderna injection since vaccination began last month. However, only 4 million have received the second dose.

The AstraZeneca vaccine can also be used throughout the European Union. The decision came amid criticism that the 27-nation bloc is not moving fast enough, as well as concerns that there isn’t enough data to tell how well the vaccine works in older people.

Georgetown University expert and former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) head of vaccines, Dr Jesse Goodman, said J&J’s protection was good enough to help a pandemic strike. “The advantage of having more vaccines, in one shot, will be significant,” he said.

Researchers tracked disease starting 28 days after vaccination or approximately the time participants received the two-dose variation. As a result, no one who was vaccinated needed to be hospitalized or died. When people who are vaccinated become infected, they develop milder illnesses.

All the Covid-19 vaccine trains the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by looking at the spiny protein that coats it. But they are made in very different ways.

The J&J vaccine uses a flu virus such as a Trojan horse to carry the spike gene into the body. This condition makes the cells make harmless copies of proteins to strengthen the immune system in case the real virus arrives. This is the same technology that the company uses to make the successful Ebola vaccine A.P.

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