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FDA says Johnson & Johnson 1-dose shot prevents COVID-19; final decision soon
WASHINGTON — Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine protects against COVID-19, according to an analysis by U.S. regulators Wednesday that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic.
The Food and Drug Administration’s scientists confirmed that overall the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. The agency also said J&J’s shot — one that could help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two — is safe to use.
That’s just one step in the FDA’s evaluation of a third vaccine option for the U.S. On Friday, the agency’s independent advisers will debate if the evidence is strong enough to recommend the long-anticipated shot. Armed with that advice, FDA is expected to make a final decision within days.
The vaccination drive has been slower than hoped, hampered by logistical issues and weather delays even as the country mourns more than 500,000 virus-related deaths. So far, about 65 million Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna, shots that require two doses several weeks apart for full protection.
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9:07 a.m. Summer in the city? Chicago eases travel limits as statewide COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations hit July numbers
Public health officials in Chicago have loosened guidelines for travel to and from 18 states as the city’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate sits at its lowest point since the onset of the pandemic.
Statewide, the seven-day average positivity rate is the lowest it’s been since July. And COVID-19 hospitalizations are at comparable levels.
For Chicago, the states seeing less travel restrictions include Wisconsin and Indiana, which have also seen coronavirus infections decline, moving them down from the “orange tier” to yellow on the color-coded emergency travel order updated Tuesday by the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The city still wants people traveling from the 31 remaining orange-level hot spot states — including Iowa and Kentucky — to quarantine for 10 days or have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within three days of arrival to Chicago.
That will no longer apply for people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus. The updated order goes into effect Friday.
Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here.
New Cases
- Chicago’s seven-day average positivity rate is down to 3.1%, the lowest it has been since the virus gripped the state early last year.
- The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced the latest 1,665 cases diagnosed among 61,400 tests.
