Johnson & Johnson filed an application for emergency use authorization on Thursday for its single-injection coronavirus vaccine, taking it a step closer to helping the United States fight the virus.
The next step is for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convene a meeting of its vaccine advisory panel to review the evidence, which can happen in just two weeks.
In a statement, the company said it “expects to have the product available for shipment immediately after authorization”, but did not specify how much. It still hopes to fulfill its commitment to supply 100 million doses by mid-year.
“After the authorization of our experimental vaccine COVID-19 for emergency use, we are ready to start sending. With our presentation to the FDA and our analyzes in progress with other health authorities around the world, we are working with great urgency to do our publicly available experimental vaccine as soon as possible, “said Paul Stoffels, vice president of the executive committee and scientific director at Johnson & Johnson, in a statement.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose, unlike the two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which means it will be easier to distribute.
It is also much easier to store; the shot is estimated to remain stable for two years at 4 degrees Fahrenheit, and will remain stable for at least three months in most standard refrigerators at temperatures of 36 to 46 degrees.
On the other hand, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored in deep-frozen freezers that keep it between minus 112 degrees and minus 76 degrees Celsius. Moderna’s vaccine needs to be shipped between minus 13 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit
Data from the Johnson & Johnson phase three clinical trial showed that it was 66 percent effective in preventing moderate or severe illness, and experts – including Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciJohnson & Johnson asks for authorization for the emergency use of his COVID-19 vaccine Excuses against the COVID-19 vaccine do not add up Defense overnight: New START extended for five years | Austin orders ‘step back’ to fight extremism | Panel recommends Biden postponing withdrawal from Afghanistan MORE, the country’s leading infectious disease physician – praised him as an important tool in the US arsenal.
Experts pointed out that Johnson & Johnson’s figures should not be used as a direct comparison with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which were considered 95 percent and 94 percent effective, respectively.
However, there is a warning sign for the variant found in South Africa; effectiveness has dropped from 72% in the United States to 57% in South Africa, where a new variant of the coronavirus is prevalent.
This new variant has become more resistant to vaccines, causing concern among experts. Still, a variety of vaccines are likely to provide protection against the variant.
Experts say the best way to prevent more potentially dangerous mutations and variants is for people to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, because more immune people means less chance of the virus spreading and evolving.
With its relatively easy storage requirements and ease of administration, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be a great help if it is authorized and given to enough people quickly enough.