A single-shot Covid-19 vaccine by US drugmaker Johnson and Johnson is likely to be approved for use in the European Union in early March, a French minister said Sunday (28 February).
The vaccine was cleared for emergency use in the United States on Saturday, becoming the third available vaccine there.
The single-shot vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe Covid-19, including against newer variants, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said before giving it the green light.
French Industry Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher told France 3 television that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) was also evaluating information transmitted by the US pharmaceuticals company.
TODAY
February 3, 2021
A French lab will start producing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in March, while another will begin making the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech in April, Industry Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said Wednesday.
President Emmanuel Macron pledged Tuesday that four sites on French soil would begin making coronavirus vaccines soon, as his government draws sharp criticism over the slow pace of its inoculation drive.
French pride has also taken a hit after its pharma giant Sanofi said its COVID-19 vaccine would not be ready until later this year.
The health crisis has prompted governments to push for the more widespread production of vaccines already available, overriding the industry’s fierce resistance to sharing intellectual property secrets.