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Progress is being made when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.
The vaccines that are currently on the market — from Pfizer and Moderna — require two doses for the full effect, but Johnson & Johnson has been working on a single-dose vaccine in an effort to make widespread vaccination more efficient.
Luckily, it seems to be working out.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccination has proven to be safe and approximately 66 percent effective in preventing severe cases of COVID-19.
Because of its success, the stage is being set for a potential vote to bring the vaccine to market. A debate on whether the vaccine will be recommended is set for Friday.
From the Associated Press:
J&J tested its single-dose option in 44,000 adults in the U.S., Latin America and South Africa. Different mutated versions of the virus are circulating in different countries, and the FDA analysis cautioned that it’s not clear how well the vaccine works against each variant. But J&J previously announced the vaccine worked better in the U.S. — 72% effective against moderate to severe COVID-19, compared with 66% in Latin America and 57% in South Africa.
No severe side effects were recorded following the vaccine.
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 28.2 million confirmed cases and 500,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
