Last modified on Thu 25 Feb 2021 10.25 EST
Good morning.
The one-shot coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson appears to be safe and effective in trials, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in documents published yesterday. The vaccine effectively reduced the risk of Covid-19, and prevented confirmed cases of the virus, at least 14 days after vaccination, according to FDA briefing documents. This takes the prospective vaccine a step closer to approval, with an advisory panel of independent experts set to meet on Friday to decide whether to recommend that the FDA take the step.
In a trial of more than 44,000 participants, the vaccine was 72% effective in the US, but just 57% effective in South Africa, where the B1351 variant is widespread, indicating the vaccine might be less effective against other variants of the virus. It’s also unclear how long the vaccine protects people, and the degree to which it stops asymptomatic transmission.
First Thing: one-stop Covid shot gets closer to US approval msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.