Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Johnson & Johnson's Single-Dose Shot Is 66% Effective
A global study of nearly 44,000 found that the COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease. The study was conducted in the U.S., Latin America and South Africa. The vaccine did better at preventing disease in this country – 72% percent — and less well in South Africa – 57% efficacy. The efficacy seen in Latin America was 66%. The South African results are troubling because the coronavirus spreading there and that has now been detected in the U.S. raising concerns that the vaccines developed so far might not work as well against it. (Hensley, 1/29)
A single-shot coronavirus vaccine from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson was 66 percent effective at preventing moderate and severe illness in a massive global trial, findings released Friday show. But its performance was stronger in the United States and weaker in South Africa, where a worrisome coronavirus variant now dominates — a complicated result that reflects the evolution of the pandemic. The results, reported in a news release, put a third vaccine on the horizon in the United States — one with logistical advantages that could simplify distribution and expand access to shots in the United States and worldwide. (Johnson, 1/29)
It's a striking difference from vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and it may give pause to people uncertain about which vaccine to get or when they can get one. The vaccines already on the market in the US are about 95% effective overall against symptomatic Covid-19, with perhaps even higher efficacy against severe cases. But experts say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will still be useful against the pandemic in the United States and around the world. (Fox, Sealy and Nedelman, 1/29)
Also —
Johnson & Johnson will deliver about 2 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine when it receives an emergency use authorization in the U.S., according to a Government Accountability Office report published Thursday. The figure revealed in a footnote to the government audit is the clearest indication yet of the initial supply of J&J’s one-shot vaccine. (Tozzi and Griffin, 1/28)
