The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally gave the green light this Saturday for the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, the third to receive authorization in the country. According to the Agency, the vaccine is effective enough against COVID-19.
The inclusion of the first single-dose vaccine should help speed up the vaccination campaign by not requiring a second dose at three weeks, as occurs with the Pfizer and Moderna injections, although Johnson & Johnson has pointed out that it is considering possible reminders yearly.
“We had two licensed rush-use vaccines and now we have three. This third is a single dose from Johnson & Johnson, which makes organizing a little easier. But I think the bottom line is that whatever vaccine they offer you, take it. They’re all really good. And the most important thing we can do right now is get as many vaccines into as many arms as possible, “said Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.
Clinical trials have registered an effectiveness against the coronavirus of 66% among those over 18 years of age, below 94-95% of existing vaccines. However, the vaccine from the American pharmaceutical company has an 86% capacity to avoid the severity of the disease, which could be enough to protect the population.
The vaccine will thus be added to those of Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna, which have been administered since the end of December in the North American country and which have served to immunize health, emergency and elderly personnel and is now slowly becoming available for the rest of the population.
“This is fascinating news for all Americans, and an encouraging advance in our efforts to end this crisis,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The United States, the country hardest hit by the pandemic in the world, already registers more than 28.5 million cases and more than 510,000 deaths, according to the latest independent count from Johns Hopkins University.
Although in recent days the daily average of new cases has dropped notably, to below 70,000 a day, compared to nearly 300,000 at the beginning of the year, the authorities continue to warn of the existing danger, especially due to the appearance of new strains.
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