FDA CONFIRMS J&J’S ONE-SHOT DOSE PREVENTS COVID

Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine strongly protects against severe COVID-19 and ay reduce the spread of the virus by vaccinated people, new analyses found, the New York Times reported.

It provides strong protection against severe disease and death from the virus and also may reduce the spread of the virus by vaccinated people, according to new analyses posted online by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Scientists confirmed that overall the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, and about 85% effective against the most serious illness.

The agency also said J&J’s shot — one that could help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two — is safe to use, Lauran Neergaard and Matthew Perrone reported for the Associated Press (AP).

That’s just one step in the FDA’s evaluation of a third vaccine option for the US. On Friday, the agency’s independent advisers will debate if the evidence is strong enough to recommend the long-anticipated shot.

Armed with that advice, FDA is expected to make a final decision within days.

The vaccination drive has been slower than hoped, hampered by logistical issues and weather delays even as the country mourns more than 500,000 virus-related deaths.

So far, about 44.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna, and nearly 20 million of them have received the second dose required for full protection.

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