Johnson & Johnson fifth COVID vaccine to get nod for emergency use, here's all u need to know

Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for Emergency Use, here's what we know about the vaccine.

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New Delhi: Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine received the Emergency Use approval in India on Saturday (August 7, 2021). Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya shared the announement saying the move will further boost the country's collective fight against the coronavirus infection.

"India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has five EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against #COVID19," he wrote in a tweet. 

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: Its Effectiveness 

According to the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Phase 3 trials, the vaccine was found to be 66% effective against the coronavirus 28 days after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was administered.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine reduces severe symptoms and hospitalization by 71% while the it was effective upto 95% from preventing deaths due to Delta variant, according to trial results from South African for August 2021. 

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been found to be nearly 85% effective on severe symptoms of novel coronavirus. According to the results Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial on 4,77,234 healthcare workers in South Africa, the vaccine is also effective on Delta variant of coronavirus.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: Significant for India

It is the fifth COVID-19 vaccine to be added to India’s vaccine list which will give a boost to the availability of the shots. India has so far approved the use of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca (Covishield), Bharat Biotech (Covaxin), Russia's Gamaleya Institute (Sputnik) and Moderna.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: Why single dose is administered

A single dose of the vaccine was found to have generated neutralising antibodies against a range of Sars-CoV-2 variants of concern, including against Delta (B.1.617.2), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1). The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts of WHO decided that the single dose (0.5 ml) Janssen Ad26.CoV2.S vaccine should be administered intramuscularly and there should be an interval of 14 days before the administration of this vaccine and any other vaccine.