J&J releases COVID-19 vaccine after testing against new virus variants

Johnson & Johnson offers new data on their single-dose COVID-19 vaccine tested with the newly emerged virus variants. The J&J vaccine data shows promising results being 85% effective against preventing severe illness and 66% effective at preventing symptomatic disease.

Results released Friday show the single-shot vaccine was 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe illness, and much more protective against the most serious symptoms. https://t.co/Xw2VE6N9dl

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 29, 2021

The global head of Janssen Research & Development, Dr. Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., is working closely with the team of scientists developing the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. Mammen disclosed the promising “highly effective” vaccine that is 85% effective against severe cases and 100% effective against hospitalization and death.

Johnson & Johnson released a press statement disclosing the vaccine is safe to take and they are prepared to produce the accessible vaccine to be distributed worldwide. The full package of data will be evaluated by the FDA advisory committee in mid to late-February with the data publicly available.

JUST IN: Topline interim data analysis from our Phase 3 ENSEMBLE clinical trial for our investigational single-dose #COVID19 vaccine candidate announced: https://t.co/0IYaigbYvV pic.twitter.com/e1zIJr7qSQ

— Johnson & Johnson (@JNJNews) January 29, 2021

The J&J vaccine was effective 72% in the U.S., 66% in South America, and 75% in South Africa. The most promising data is 100% protection from COVID-19 related hospitalization or death with a single-dose accessible vaccine.