Johnson and Johnson has asked health regulators in the US if their single-dose COVID-19 vaccines can be authorised for emergency use. They are also planning to soon approach European authorities.
The company announced in 2019 that their vaccines are 66% effective after conducting trials all across the world. The Food and Drug Administration of the US has decided upon a meeting of their Vaccines and Biological Products Advisory Committee on 26th February to discuss Johnson and Johnson’s request. Vaccines from Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. have already been authorised.
The J&J vaccine only requires a single shot and does not require to be shipped frozen as compared to Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE and Moderna. Paul Stoffels, the chief scientific officer of J&J, said that they are ready to begin shipping of the vaccines once the FDA confirms authorisation.