The Food and Drug Administration has approved a third coronavirus vaccine for use in the United States. Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine to combat the deadly virus that has killed over 500,000 people in the U.S. over the last year will be made available as soon as possible. Shipments of the first few million doses are expected to go out Monday.
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“This is really good news,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told The Associated Press Saturday. “The most important thing we can do right now is to get as many shots in as many arms as we can.”
J&J’s one-dose vaccine has been found to be 85% protective against the strongest strains of COVID-19. The company says 20 million doses are expected to be delivered by the end of March and 100 million by the start of summer.
“This is exciting news for all Americans, and an encouraging development in our efforts to bring an end to the crisis,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “But I want to be clear: this fight is far from over.”
J&J is still seeking approval for emergency use in Europe and from the World Health Organization.
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