The first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine could receive an emergency permit in just two weeks, Dr. Anthony Fauci said late Friday.
“I would be surprised if it took two weeks for the data to be analyzed and decisions made” on the vaccine being developed by Johnson & Johnson of New Jersey, Fauci said during a performance on The Rachel Maddow Show. “
“We will look at the data and determine if they are ready to be given to the public,” Fauci said, “so that they can go to the FDA to see if they can get an emergency use authorization.”
Fauci said the US government is working with several companies on six vaccine candidates, two of which have already been approved for emergency use, one from Pfizer PFE,
and the other from Moderna MRNA,
These two both require cold storage and two doses.
The J&J JNJ,
vaccine does not have the same need to be kept super cold, Fauci said, requiring only one dose. Those factors will make a big difference in the ability to get the photos to people, he said. “It gives a wider range of flexibility,” he said.
Johnson & Johnson has said it expects to have 100 million doses available by April.
Any additional vaccines made available will be a boost to the city and state, which are running low on doses as New Yorkers rush to make vaccination appointments. Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday calling for more vaccine shipments.
This article was first published on NYPost.com