For people who have had Covid-19, a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is enough to provide robust protection from the coronavirus, according to two new studies from Britain that were published late Thursday in The Lancet, a prominent medical journal.
Two new pieces of research add strong evidence to the case for giving just a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine to people who have antibodies against the virus.
Covid-19: F.D.A. Panel Gives Green Light to Johnson & Johnsonâs Vaccine
Last Updated
March 31, 2021, 10:44 p.m. ETMarch 31, 2021, 10:44 p.m. ET
U.S. health officials warn governors against easing restrictions as a drop in coronavirus cases âmay be stalling.â And Canada authorizes the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Hereâs what you need to know:
Empty vials of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a hospital in South Africa.Credit.Phill Magakoe/Agence France-Presse â Getty Images
Johnson & Johnsonâs Covid-19 vaccine was endorsed on Friday by a panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration, clearing the last hurdle before a formal authorization expected on Saturday, according to two people familiar with the agencyâs plans. The nationâs first shipments will go out in the days after that.
“This could potentially accelerate vaccine rollout,” they said.
And that in turn could forestall dangerous new mutations.
“Wider coverage without compromising vaccine-induced immunity could help reduce variant emergence,” the paper said.
In recent weeks, several studies on the topic were posted online that were not yet published in scientific journals, showing that one dose of a coronavirus vaccine amplified people’s antibodies from an earlier infection.
People’s immune responses to being infected are highly variable: Most people make considerable and long-lasting antibodies, while others who had milder infections produce relatively few, making it difficult to know how protected they are from the virus.