Johnson & Johnson has said its coronavirus vaccine is 94% effective in protecting against the virus when a booster is given two months after the initial dose.
The company on Tuesday said its latest study shows that a booster at two months results in 100% protection against severe cases of the virus, and 94% against symptomatic cases. The booster also increases antibody levels by four to six times compared to a single shot, CNBC reported.
‘Our large real-world evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against Covid-19 related hospitalizations,’ Johnson & Johnson’s Global Head of Research and Development, Mathai Mammen, said in a statement.
‘Additionally, our Phase 3 trial data further confirm protection against Covid-19 related death.’
A booster shot given six months after the first shot appears to potentially be even more protective against the virus, the company said.
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine was given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February. It has since been given to about 14.8million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is also the only single-shot vaccination offered in the US, while vaccinations offered by Pfizer and Moderna require two doses.
Under current guidance J&J boosters would not be needed until November at the earliest since it was administered beginning in March 2021.
The news of a possible booster comes several months after the company’s vaccination became the cause of health concerns for many.
In April, the FDA and CDC called for a brief pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to the risk of rare but serious blood clotting disorders, adding a warning label to the vaccine. In July, a second warning label was added to indicate that the vaccine could trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder.
While the vaccine remains highly effective, less people have opted to receive it compared to Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines.
Only about 14.8million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered out of the more than 386million doses that have been given overall, according to The Hill.
This announcement from Johnson & Johnson comes at the heels of Pfizer’s Covid booster being recommended by an FDA advisory panel for administration in people over the age of 65 and those in high-risk groups.
On Monday, Pfizer announced its vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective in young children, ages 5 to 11.
The news comes at a time when children make up one in five cases of Covid, and more and more children are being hospitalized in intensive care unit beds due to the Delta variant.
Pfizer plans to apply by the end of September for FDA use authorization of its vaccine for children. Authorization of the vaccine could come before the end of October.
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