Single Shot and No Extreme Refrigeration Needed

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a third vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization against Covid-19 for individuals 18 years old and older.

The FDA has determined the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine, produced by Johnson and Johnson, has met the statutory criteria for emergency use authorization, or EUA, and approved the vaccine on February 27, 2021. This vaccine requires only a single injection instead of the two injections required by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. In clinical trials, it was 100% effective against severe Covid-19 and death and 72% effective against Covoid-19. Although the latter rate is lower than the other two vaccines, it is still considered very effective, based on standards set by the FDA.

Also, this vaccine does not require extreme cold refrigeration like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. This is good news for community clinics and rural areas previously unequipped to handle the storage requirements.

Updated: Rollout is expected to begin as early as Monday.