J&J’s single-dose vaccine approved for emergency use in India

Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use India. With this vaccine, India has five Emergency Use Authorization vaccines. This move will further boost India’s collective fight against COVID-19.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

This vaccine, also called as Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, has been developed by Janssen Vaccines in Leiden, Netherlands. Its Belgian parent company Janssen Pharmaceuticals is subsidiary of American company Johnson & Johnson.

Nature of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

This vaccine is a viral vector vaccine which has been developed on the basis of human adenovirus. Vaccine has been modified to contain the gene for making spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Immune system of body responds to this spike protein in order to produce antibodies. It requires only one dose to develop immune. This vaccine does not need to be stored frozen.

Emergency use authorization

Vaccine was granted an emergency use authorization by US Food and Drug Administration, conditional marketing authorization by European Medicines Agency (EMA) and UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Efficacy of the vaccine

Clinical trials for Johnson vaccine were started in June 2020. Phase III involved about 43,000 people. Vaccine was found to be 66% effective on one-dose regimen in preventing symptomatic while it was found to be 85% efficient in preventing severe COVID-19 cases. Vaccine delivered 100% efficacy in preventing hospitalization or death caused by covid-19 disease.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2021