Johnson & Johnson Applies for FDA Emergency Use of Covid-19 Vaccine

In some good news, a new coronavirus vaccine is one step closer to getting FDA Emergency Use Authorization! Johnson & Johnson’s global phase 3 clinical trials of their vaccine yielded an 85% efficacy rate for preventing moderate to severe disease. The shot, which was made in partnership with Janssen pharmaceuticals, requires only a single dose and basic refrigeration, making it more accessible and easier to store than the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. The company will continue research on the effects of a potential booster shot. Johnson & Johnson officially applied for emergency use yesterday and the FDA has already announced plans for an advisory panel to meet on February 26th to discuss and evaluate their safety data. If they recommend authorization, the vaccine could be approved in a matter of weeks. This would be the third vaccine to be approved in the U.S. Johnson & Johnson said they hope to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. by June.