Johnson & Johnson Requests Emergency Authorization From FDA for COVID Vaccine

CNBC reports that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has applied for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine, following publication of data indicating it offered about 66 percent effective virus protection. If approved, J&J's vaccine would be the third coronavirus vaccine authorized for emergency use in the United States after the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. J&J's vaccine only requires one dose, while the other two are dual-dose medications. "Upon authorization of our investigational COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, we are ready to begin shipping," said J&J Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels. "With our submission to the FDA and our ongoing reviews with other health authorities around the world, we are working with great urgency to make our investigational vaccine available to the public as quickly as possible." Despite the J&J product's 66 percent general efficacy, it seemed less effective against other COVID variants. However, leading U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci noted that the vaccine appeared to be 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease, which "will alleviate so much of the stress and human suffering and death in this epidemic."