OSHCstudents – A single-shot coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson has been approved for use in the UK, the medicines regulator has announced.
The Government has ordered 20 million doses, after studies showed the jab by the company’s pharmaceutical arm Janssen, is 67 per cent effective at preventing moderate to severe Covid-19, and 85 per cent effective against severe disease or admission to hospital.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s approval “very welcome news” and urged “when you get the call, get the jab”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is a further boost to the UK’s hugely successful vaccination programme, which has already saved over 13,000 lives, and means that we now have four safe and effective vaccines approved to help protect people from this awful virus.
“As Janssen is a single-dose vaccine, it will play an important role in the months to come as we redouble our efforts to encourage everyone to get their jabs and potentially begin a booster programme later this year.”
Medical chiefs have said it could help protect hard-to-reach groups in society less likely to come forward for two jabs, and help an autumn booster campaign. The jab should be available for over-18s in the UK towards the end of this year.
Below is a summary of today’s other coronavirus-related developments:
A further 10 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test in the UK, the latest Government figures show. A further 4,182 cases have been logged over the latest 24 hour period, meaning the seven-day average of cases has risen 24 per cent.
The European Union’s drug watchdog has approved the Pfizer jab for 12- to 15-year-olds, the first vaccine to get the green light for children in the bloc.
Malaysia has announced a nationwide “total lockdown” starting in June as coronavirus infections in the country surged to record levels.
The US is taking “a very close look” at the possibility of vaccine passports for travel into and out of the country, the Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas has said. He said any vaccine had to be “accessible to all”.
The majority of people with the Indian variant have not been vaccinated, with just three per cent of cases (177 out of 5,599) from February 1 to May 25 having received both doses, Public Health England (PHE) data shows.
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said having a vaccine was a “civic duty” after warning of an increasing number of no shows at appointments. She said the second dose is the one that “makes a real difference to how much protection you have”.
OSHCstudents (Source: Telegraph)
