US approves J&J's one-shot COVID-19 vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (USA) cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. As the approval comes through, it will be the country’s third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as on Saturday.

Agency reports said health experts were anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race against a virus that already has killed more than 510,000 people in the US and is mutating in increasingly worrisome ways.

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The FDA said J&J’s vaccine offers strong protection against what matters most: serious illness, hospitalizations and death. One dose was 85% protective against the most severe COVID-19 illness, in a massive study that spanned three continents protection that remained strong even in countries such as South Africa, where the variants of most concern are spreading.

The more vaccines that have high efficacy that we can get into play, the better, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, said ahead of the FDA’s ruling.

Shipments of a few million doses to be divided among states could begin as early as Monday. By the end of March, J&J has said it expects to deliver 20 million doses to the US, and 100 million by summer.

J&J also is seeking authorization for emergency use of its vaccine in Europe and from the World Health Organization. Worldwide, the company aims to produce about 1 billion doses globally by the end of the year. On Thursday, the island nation of Bahrain became the first to clear its use.

In India

The Government of India too said it would start allowing vaccintions on a need-to basis and priority woudl be accorded to those with comorbidities and senior citizends. The Centre said the beneficiaries would need to register on the designated Cowin app and pay for the jabs. The government was trying to fix a price for the jabs and each shot was likely to cost ₹250.

Also read: Private facilities likely to charge ₹250 for vaccine

In the first phase, the country had innoculated over 1.37 crore frontline health workers in a massive exercise to combat COVID-19. India had also pledged to send vaccines to its immedite neighbours and to countires in Africa and the Carribean including Barbados, Dominica and the Dominican Republic.

(With inouts from Agencies)