NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention OK'd Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for use in the U.S. on Sunday, clearing the way for the distribution of the vaccine as soon as Monday.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a recommendation by a CDC advisory committee.
"The Janssen vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death," Walensky said in a statement. "This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible."
Earlier on Sunday, the CDC advisory committee voted unanimously to recommend the J&J vaccine for Americans over 18 years of age.
It came a day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine for emergency use.
"The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement Saturday announcing an emergency use authorization had been issued.
The J&J vaccine is the third vaccine approved in the U.S. to fight the pandemic.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, J&J's shot works with just one dose instead of two.
Officials hope a single-shot vaccine will help speed up vaccinations against the coronavirus, which has killed over 500,000 people in the U.S. and infected millions more.
The FDA said the J&J's vaccine offers strong protection against serious illness, hospitalizations and death and has been shown to be 85% effective against severe COVID-19.
Nearly 4 million doses of the vaccine will be shipped Sunday night. They will begin to be delivered to states for injections starting on Tuesday.
J&J has said it looks to deliver 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by summer.
