US CDC Grants Final Approval for J&J Vaccine... Secures Three Types of Vaccines

On the morning of the 27th, when Pfizer vaccine administration began for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients, medical personnel are preparing doses of the Pfizer vaccine into syringes at the sterile workstation (clean bench) inside the Central Vaccination Center of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] On the 28th (local time), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave final approval for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine.

CNN and other outlets reported that Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director, signed the J&J vaccine recommendation from the CDC's advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), on the same day. ACIP held a meeting and unanimously voted to recommend the J&J vaccine for those aged 18 and older, and Director Walensky immediately signed the advisory committee's recommendation. This followed the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) emergency use authorization of the J&J vaccine on the 27th.

Director Walensky issued a statement saying, "The J&J vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death," fully agreeing with the advisory committee's recommendation.

With this, the U.S. became the country to secure a third vaccine available for on-site administration, following the pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses, the J&J vaccine is completed with a single dose and does not necessarily require frozen storage, offering advantages in vaccine distribution, storage constraints, and ease of managing vaccination appointments and schedules.

Director Walensky stated, "The J&J vaccine allows for vaccination of as many people as quickly and equitably as possible," adding, "This vaccine is another important tool in our toolbox."

The J&J vaccine began shipment immediately on the same day, with the first batch scheduled for distribution on the 2nd of next month, two days later, according to the Associated Press.

The federal government plans to distribute 3.9 million doses to hospitals and pharmacies within two weeks. Additionally, 20 million doses are expected to be supplied by the end of March, and 100 million doses during the first half of the year in the U.S.

Johnson & Johnson conducted Phase 3 clinical trials involving over 44,000 participants in the U.S. and South Africa, showing preventive efficacy of 72% in the U.S. and 64% in South Africa.

Although these figures are lower than Pfizer's (95%) and Moderna's (94.1%), it should be noted that the clinical trials of these two companies were conducted before the spread of variant viruses. The J&J vaccine's effectiveness against severe COVID-19 was 86% in the U.S. and 82% in South Africa, and no vaccinated individuals died from COVID-19.