FDA Says J&J One-Dose Vaccine Offers Strong Protection Against Severe COVID-19

• The Johnson & Johnson vaccine offers protection against severe COVID-19 similar to the authorized mRNA vaccines.
• Effectiveness against severe COVID-19 was about 85 percent 28 days after vaccination.
• The FDA also noted that the single dose may make it easier for more people to be vaccinated, which will help stop the spread of the virus.

The single-dose vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson offers strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to an analysis of study data published Wednesday, Feb. 24, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The data still has to be reviewed at a public meeting Friday, Feb. 26, of the agency’s vaccine advisory committee, but the positive results raise hopes that a third coronavirus vaccine could receive emergency authorization as soon as this weekend.

In the analysis, FDA scientists confirmed that the vaccine had an effectiveness of about 66 percent against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 at least 14 days after vaccination.

Efficacy against severe COVID-19 was about 85 percent 28 days after vaccination.

The FDA said the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety were similar across all racial and age groups. However, efficacy was lower for people 60 and older with certain underlying health conditions.

Efficacy is a measure of how well vaccines work during a clinical trial. Real-world vaccine effectiveness may be lower due to a number of factors.

The agency also said that there were “no specific safety concerns” that would prevent the vaccine from receiving emergency authorization.

The FDA also noted that the single dose may make it easier for more people to be vaccinated, which will help stop the spread of the virus.

“The vaccine is administered as a single dose, which provides operational benefits to mass vaccination campaigns,” FDA experts wrote.