J&J says its one-shot COVID-19 vaccine is 72% effective in the U.S.

January 29, 2021: Johnson & Johnson said on Friday that its one-dose coronavirus vaccine was 72% effective in the United States. Whereas the vaccine was less potent in other regions, it said.
The highly anticipated results were based on 468 confirmed Covid-19 infections among the phase three trials more than 43,000 volunteers, according to J&J.
The level of protection varied by region, J&J said, with the vaccine demonstrating 66% effectiveness overall, 72% in the United States, 66% in Latin America, and 57% in South Africa after four weeks.
“We’re proud to have reached this critical milestone, and our commitment to address this global health crisis continues with urgency for everyone, everywhere,” J&J CEO Alex Gorsky said.
The vaccine was well tolerated, with no significant safety concerns related to the immunization reported, J&J said. There were also no reports of anaphylaxis.
U.S. officials and Wall Street analysts are anticipating J&J’s vaccine’s authorization, which could happen next month.
The Food and Drug Administration has indicated it would authorize a vaccine that’s safe and at least 50% effective. According to the CDC, the flu vaccine generally reduces people’s risk of getting influenza by 40% to 60% compared with people who aren’t inoculated
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If the FDA authorizes J&J’s vaccine, it would be the third approved for emergency use in the U.S. except for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna’s vaccine.
J&J’s requires only one dose, which means patients will not have to come back for another dose, simplifying logistics for health-care providers. Additionally, J&J has said it plans to ship the vaccine between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, which is about 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.
In August, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it reached a deal with Janssen, J&J’s pharmaceutical subsidiary, worth approximately $1 billion for 100 million doses of its vaccine. According to the announcement, the agreement gives the federal government the option to order an additional 200 million doses.