Johnson and Johnson vaccine 66% effective at preventing serious disease - single shot vaccine expected to be approved shortly by US.
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid vaccine protects against is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe forms of the virus, and is safe to use, according to an analysis by US regulators ahead of a final decision on the jab.
Reuters reports that the Food and Drug Administration’s independent advisers would debate on Friday if the evidence is strong enough to recommend the long-anticipated shot and the FDA would then be expected to make a final decision within days.
J&J tested its single-dose option in 44,000 people in the US, Latin America and South Africa. Because different mutated versions of the virus are circulating in different countries, researchers analysed the results geographically.
The numbers suggest the J&J jab isn’t as strong as two-dose competitors, made by Pfizer and Moderna – while it is about as effective as AstraZeneca’s, according to these early indications.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being used in the U.S. and numerous other countries must be kept frozen, while the J&J shot can last three months in the refrigerator, making it easier to handle. AstraZeneca’s vaccine, widely used in Europe, Britain and Israel, is made similarly and also requires refrigeration but takes two doses.
China's Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines similar levels of protection
Sinopharm affiliate Wuhan Institute Of Biological Products said in a statement its vaccine’s efficacy rate was 72.51 percent, while the overall efficacy for CanSino’s stood at 65.28 percent after 28 days.
If their applications are successful, it would mean four of China’s domestically developed vaccines are approved for public use.
The published efficacy rates of China’s vaccines, however, remain behind rival jabs by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have 95 percent and 94 percent rates respectively.
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