SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – An FDA advisory committee is expected to vote Friday on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the U.S.
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is said to be 85 percent effective at preventing severe disease from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. The vaccine is also 72 percent effective at preventing moderate symptoms.
Based on this data, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health experts believe it’s safe enough to get into the arms of the American people.
22News spoke with Dr. Robert Roose, Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Medical Center, who expects Johnson & Johnson to get the FDA’s approval. He says it will be significant in getting the population vaccinated faster.
“That’s very good and comparable to many vaccines we’ve authorized in the past and its safety profiles thus far looks very, very good. So I expect that it will get authorized,” said Dr. Roose.
Both Dr. Roose and Dr. Fauci expect to see a major boost in the country’s dosage supply if Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine gets approved. And they also like the fact that it’s a single-dose vaccine that does not require ultracold refrigeration.
Johnson & Johnson plans to distribute 25 million vaccines across the country in the month of March.
