Johnson & Johnson single-dose Covid vaccine approved for use in India

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US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has been given approval for emergency use in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.</p>
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“Now India has 5 EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against," the minister said in a tweet.</p>
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The shot will be brought to India through a supply agreement with Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological E Limited.</p>
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"We are pleased to announce that on 7th August 2021, the Government of India issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 single-dose vaccine in India, to prevent COVID in individuals 18 years of age and older," a Johnson & Johnson India spokesperson said.</p>
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The approval has come through a day after Johnson & Johnson applied for approval under the new fast track mechanism in which need for bridge trials in India has been done away with for proven vaccines that are already in use in other countries.</p>
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The company on Friday said that Biological E will be an important part of Johnson and Johnson's global supply chain network, helping to supply its COVID-19 vaccine Janssen through extensive collaborations and partnerships with governments, health authorities and organisations such as GAVI and the COVAX Facility.</p>
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Production of the vaccine in India by Biological E is also part of the Indo-Pacific Quad agreement on vaccines which envisages the use of Indian manufacturing facilities backed by finance from the US and Japan to step up the production of COVID-19 vaccines.</p>
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Studies have shown that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66 per cent effective in preventing cases of moderate to severe illness and 85 per cent effective against severe cases of COVID-19. It was 100 per cent effective in preventing  hospitalisation and death four weeks after inoculation, according to studies.</p>