WHO Approves Johnson & Johnson's First Single-Shot Covid-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use

Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently recommended for those above 18 years of age. The vaccine is fourth to be endorsed for use in the EU after jabs from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford University and Moderna got approval.

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A day after getting conditional approval by the European Union's drug regulating authority, Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization by the World Health Organisation on Friday. The organisation allowed the one-shot dose to be used as part of the United Nation's international vaccine distribution effort.

According to the reports, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an official statement said, "Every new, safe and effective tool against Covid-19 is another step closer to controlling the pandemic."

Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently recommended for those above 18 years of age. The vaccine is fourth to be endorsed for use in the EU after jabs from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford University and Moderna got approval.

Johnson & Johnson vaccination offers logistical advantages because of its single-dose and also doesn't require deep-freeze storage making it best suited for several hard-to-reach rural areas and unprivileged communities that have limited access to healthcare facilities. 

It is said to be the game changer in Coronavirus vaccination drive which is currently being conducted worldwide. The vaccine is first-of-its-kind as it requires only a single dose, unlike other vaccines that need two doses spaced weeks apart.

However, the new vaccine has been on the radar of critiques due to lack of clarity about the jabs’ efficacy numbers. 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.