52-year-old director of the nursing department of the city-province of Athens, Crystal Jones, loads syringes with the vaccine on the first day of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
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The European drug regulator on Thursday recommended the approval of the single-dose coronavirus vaccine created by Johnson & Johnson, potentially adding another weapon to the arsenal used to combat Covid-19.
The vaccine will now be sent to the European Commission for approval later on Thursday.
The vaccine has the added benefit of only requiring a single dose, and it can be stored in most standard refrigerators at temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (or about 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), making it easier and cheaper to use. transport and store.
Once supplies start to be delivered, the shot could significantly bolster Europe’s struggling immunization program and will be the fourth to be approved by the EMA. Two-dose vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have also been approved.
Although easier to distribute, the vaccine has not been found to be as effective as Pfizer and Moderna’s shots at preventing Covid infection. Nonetheless, the data shows that it provides a decent level of protection: data from US clinical studies have shown J & J’s vaccine to be 72% effective at protecting against moderate to severe Covid (although in studies elsewhere it has been shown to be less potent , giving it an overall effectiveness of 66%), compared to about 95% for the other two vaccines.
The speed with which the EU can roll out the J&J vaccine is not yet clear. The EU has ordered 200 million doses of the shot, with the option of an additional 200 million, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement last October.
However, it was reported on Wednesday that, like other vaccine suppliers to the EU (Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca), delivery of the J&J vaccine to the block could be slower than expected.
An unnamed EU official told Reuters that Johnson & Johnson has told the EU it faces supply problems that could complicate plans to deliver 55 million doses of its vaccine to the bloc in the second quarter of the year. . CNBC has reached out to J&J for further comment on the report and has yet to receive a response.
For its part, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said on Wednesday that it has not been informed of any delays from J&J.
A further slowdown in the supply of vaccines would exacerbate the already lethargic roll-out of vaccines in the EU, which is struggling due to a slower ordering process than the UK and US, slower deliveries, red tape and hesitant vaccines.
In the US, J&J has a deal with the US government to provide 100 million doses by the end of June, and on Wednesday, the Biden government announced plans to purchase an additional 100 million doses. The announcement came as the White House is working to ramp up production of the vaccine after learning earlier this year that the company had fallen behind in manufacturing.
Last week, Biden announced that the pharmaceutical giant would help Merck make J & J’s Covid vaccine. Under the agreement, Merck will dedicate two facilities in the US to J & J’s vaccine. One will make the vaccine. and the other will provide “fill-finish” services when the vaccine is put in vials.
– CNBC’s Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed to reporting to this story.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct authorization process within the EU.