A panel of expert advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday recommended that the agency approve the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine — clearing a path for the shot to be rolled out across the country.
The FDA is likely to authorize the vaccine within the coming days. Once approved, the shot would be the third COVID-19 vaccine available in the US, after the two-dose vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
The FDA panelists voted unanimously that the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine outweighed any risks.
Johnson & Johnson has pledged to deliver 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million by late June, which would give a much-needed boost to the country’s vaccine supply.
The Biden administration said earlier this week that it anticipates shipping out 3 to 4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine next week if the FDA green-lights it for emergency use.
With Post wires