US Gets Third COVID-19 Vaccine As FDA Clears Johnson & Johnson Shot For Emergency Use

FDA has authorised Johnson & Johnson's single-shot Covid vaccine for emergency use. The US has got its third vaccine to battle the Coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 500,000 across America. 

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In a major blow to the United Stated amid battle against the novel Coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday authorised Johnson & Johnson's single-shot Covid vaccine for emergency use. With this, the US has got its third vaccine to battle the Coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 500,000 across America. 

The acting FDA director Janet Woodcock in a statement said, "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."

Know About Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

Johnson & Johnson vaccination offers logistical advantages because of its single-dose and also doesn't require deep-freeze storage, as per the news agency AFP. However, the trials showed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not protect as well against a highly transmissible virus variant first identified in South Africa, which is spreading rapidly around the world. 

It has been overall 66 percent effective, and 85 percent effective in preventing severe forms of the disease, as per the company. The company will be able  deliver 100 million doses to the US by the end of June, a major supply of vaccines in a nation of some 320 million people. 

Phase 3 clinical trials of Johnson & Johnson AdVac, began in late September with 60000 adult volunteers. It, however, had to pause the advanced clinical trial because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers.