As virus data grows, the J.&J. vaccine holds its own.
Approximately 17 million Americans received the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine
But was later told it was the least protective of the options available in the United States. But new evidence suggests that the vaccine currently prevents infections, hospitalizations. And deaths at least as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The reasons are unclear, and not all experts are convinced that the vaccine has paid off. But the accumulated evidence nonetheless gives significant reassurance to vaccine recipients. If confirmed, will have wide implications for its rollout in some parts of the world.
In Africa, for example, distributing a single dose of vaccine that can be refrigerated for several months is the most practical option.
Johnson & Johnson has at least temporarily closed the only plant producing usable batches of vaccine. But the South African company Aspen Pharmacare preparing for delivery in large numbers to the rest of the continent. Only about 13 percent of Africans are fully vaccinated and only about 1 percent have received a booster. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been heralded as an attractive option for communities with limited access to healthcare, including in the United States. Due to its ease of delivery and mild side effects. But he had a bumpy road.
The vaccine appeared to elicit a weaker initial immune response,
And more people who received a single dose of the vaccine had breakthrough infections compared to those. Who received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine. In April, federal health officials in the United States and South Africa halted the distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after reviewing reports of a rare bleeding disorder in women. Although both countries resumed introduction shortly thereafter, the vaccine’s reputation never fully recovered.
But the notion that the vaccine is defective is outdated, some experts say.
