FDA Approved the Third COVID Vaccine for Emergency Use

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine as the third vaccine, and it can be used for emergency usage. The research team says that the Johnson &Johnson vaccine is cost-effective when compared to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. 

This third COVID vaccine was developed by J&J’s Janssen Pharmaceutica division. Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine was produced by using a particular type of virus known as adenovirus type 26(Ad26). After receiving the vaccine, the adenovirus triggers the immune system in the volunteer’s body to fight against the SARS-CoV-2. This adenovirus causes symptoms like cold, pink eyes, and so on.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approves Janssen’s COVID vaccine to be used for individuals above the age of 18 years in the United States. Janet Woodcock, FDA Commissioner, said that “The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States.” 

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was tested in about 40,000 people during its international study, and half of them received the vaccine, and half received a placebo. The study found that in a single shot Janssen’s COVID vaccine was 66% effective overall in preventing moderate and severe COVID-19 cases. The study also asked the people about their symptoms after receiving the shot. Headache, muscle pain, pain on the injection site, and fatigue are the most common side effects.

In terms of protecting against severe disease, the J&J COVID vaccine was 86% effective in the United States and 82% in South Africa. Even Though the overall efficiency is lower than Pfizer(95%) and Moderna(94%) in preventing COVID-19 disease, the single shot of the J&J vaccine can make a lot of difference by inducing the cellular immune response. This vaccine can be saved in refrigerators for months. It doesn’t need any deep -freezing. 

Janssen Pharmaceuticals agreed to provide the United States with 100 million doses of COVID vaccine by the end of June. The very first COVID vaccine doses will be available to the United States public in the upcoming weeks. Rather than the United States, even the United Kingdom, the EU, and Canada have also ordered vaccines. Through the Covax scheme, around 500 million doses of vaccine have been ordered for poorer countries.