J&J Vaccine Works Better Against SA Variant Than Previously Reported, FDA Finds

Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine is given as a single shot, while both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s require two shots.

Thiago Prudêncio / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

• US regulators just released detailed data on Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine.
• Your rate of effectiveness against The 501Y.V2 variant is higher than previously reported.
• South Africa became the first country to implement the vaccine last Wednesday.
• Visit Business Insider for more stories.

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine has a 64% efficacy rate in preventing the most contagious South African variant, according to a new report published online by the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.

The new report, prepared by the company, found that its effectiveness rate against the 501Y.V2 variant is seven percentage points higher than a previous report published by the company. Johnson & Johnson previously said that the vaccine offers 57% protection against moderate to severe Covid-19 infections in South Africa.

The efficacy of the vaccine against severe cases of Covid was 73%, 14 days after vaccination, and increased to 82% at least 28 days after vaccination.

There were no deaths from Covid among South African trial participants who received the J&J vaccine. More than 5,000 South Africans participated in the J&J vaccine trial, of which about half received a placebo vaccine.

“These results suggest that the vaccine is effective against the mortality associated with Covid-19,” the report found.

South Africa became the first country in the world to officially launch the vaccine last Wednesday.

Unlike the AstraZeneca vaccines, which were first purchased by South Africa, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to work against the South African 501Y.V2 variant.

See also: South Africa is the first country to implement the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – what you need to know about the jab

A review of the data by the US Food and Drug Administration found the injection to be effective and safe, and regulators said there were no identified safety issues that could prevent an emergency.

The J&J vaccine is expected to become the third Covid-19 vaccine to reach the American public. The healthcare giant has said it will have nearly 4 million doses ready to ship with emergency clearance and is on track to deliver 100 million doses to the US by the end of June.

See Also: J&J Vaccine Side Effects – What You Need To Know

J&J has emphasized that the vaccine strongly protects against serious diseases, a benefit that held up across age groups and geographies.

Reporting by Andrew Dunn and Business Insider SA.

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