Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the United States, and it’s already received the CDC’s recommendation.
According to People, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the new vaccine from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to adults 18 years and older in the U.S. earlier today.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the vaccine on Saturday and released a statement saying:
“After a thorough analysis of the data, the FDA’s scientists and physicians have determined that the vaccine meets the FDA’s expectations for safety and effectiveness appropriate for the authorization of a vaccine for emergency use,” Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research wrote. “With today’s authorization, we are adding another vaccine in our medical toolbox to fight this virus.”
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine becomes the third one approved to help fight the ongoing pandemic, following the authorizations of the Moderna and Pfizer versions of the vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is also the first vaccine that requires only one shot and the first of any offered that can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for months at a time.
Doses of the new vaccine are expected to begin shipping out on Monday.
