Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine has received emergency-use authorisation in India, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Saturday.
“Now India has 5 EUA [approved for emergency use] vaccines,” the minister added. “This will further boost our nation’s collective fight against Covid-19.”
The government’s announcement came just two days after Johnson & Johnson applied for approval of its vaccine in India. The company will collaborate with Hyderabad-based Biological E Limited to launch the vaccine in India and other countries across the world.
In phase three clinical trials, the single-shot vaccine showed 85% efficacy in preventing severe disease, Johnson & Johnson said. The company added that its shot also offered protection against hospitalisation and death, starting 28 days after inoculation.
The single-dose vaccine has already been approved for use in several countries, including the United States, European Union members, Thailand and South Africa.
Apart from the dosage regimen, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also differs from other shots in the way it creates resistance against the virus. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use new messenger RNA [Ribonucleic acid] technology to create an immune response, while this vaccine involves a more conventional approach, using a common cold virus to introduce coronavirus proteins into cells to trigger an immune response.
Also read:
How is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine different from the others? A virologist explains
Scroll has produced award-winning journalism despite violent threats, falling ad revenues and rising costs. Support our work. Become a member today.
In these volatile times, Scroll remains steadfastly courageous, nuanced and comprehensive. Become a Scroll Member and support our award-winning reportage, commentary and culture writing.