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Johnson & Johnson has said that it will begin delivering its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine in Europe on April 19, giving the continent a boost as it struggles to accelerate its vaccination campaign.
The pharmaceutical giant’s jab was approved by European Union regulators in mid-March, following the approval of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
The 27-nation EU has signed a firm order for 200 million doses and an option for 200 million more.
Ireland will receive 2.2 million doses of the vaccine.
In addition to being the first to require a single injection rather than two, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is easier to store.
The European Medicines Agency gave the green light after saying that clinical trials with volunteers in the United States, South Africa and South American countries found that J & J’s jab was 67% effective in preventing people from contracting Covid-19.
Several European countries have enacted new restrictions to curb the rise in infections, as vaccination campaigns have been slower than in other countries such as the United States or Great Britain.
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