The medicines regulator has approved the Janssen Covid vaccine for use in the UK. People receiving this coronavirus vaccination will need only one single dose.
Produced by the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, the Janssen Covid vaccine is the fourth coronavirus vaccination in the UK. It joins the Moderna, Oxford AstraZeneca and Pfizer BioNTech.
The Janssen vaccine is similar to the Oxford AstraZeneca, and works in the same way, using viral vector technology. This means a modified version of another virus is used to prompt the body’s immune system to produce antibodies. This neutralises against the spike protein to eliminate the virus.
In trials, the vaccine has proven 85% effective in stopping severe illness from Covid-19. Some studies even suggest it also offers complete protection from hospitalisation and death. The vaccine has met all expected safety standards, and Johnson & Johnson say it works on different variants of the virus.
20 million doses ordered
Health secretary Matt Hancock welcomes the approval of another vaccination to protect against Covid-19. The UK has already ordered twenty million doses, due to arrive later this year.
In the government’s vaccination rollout programme, so far over 38 million people in the UK have received their first dose. That equates to nearly three quarters of the adult population. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, previously said the single dose vaccine could be used for hard-to-reach groups of people, where it was difficult for them to return for a second jab. Another possible use is for care home residents to receive a booster jab ahead of the winter months.
More guidance on the use of the vaccine is expected from the the UK’s vaccine committee in due course.
Mr Hancock sees the Janssen vaccine as “a further boost to the UK’s hugely successful vaccination programme, which has already saved more than 13,000 lives”. He says “we now have four safe and effective vaccines approved to help protect people from this awful virus”.
As a single dose vaccine, the Janssen will play an important part in continuing efforts to encourage everyone to get their jabs, and potentially start a booster programme later this year.
The rollout of the Janssen vaccine across Europe was delayed after reports from the US about its link to rare blood clots. This is similar to those seen in a small number of people receiving AstraZeneca jabs. The US paused administration of the vaccine while they investigate the potential dangers.
But in conclusion, the overall benefits of the vaccine “outweigh the risks of side effects”.
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