FDA reports Johnson & Johnson 1-dose shot effective against COVID-19

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

During clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration found the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine 66% effective at preventing COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Robin Blount, the chief medical officer at Boone Hospital Center, said even though the J&J vaccine is less effective than Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, it will help groups of people who cannot get two doses.

"Any weapon we can have, any tool we can have to fight the virus is a good thing," she said. "If we can get it rolled out pretty quickly we can reach populations we are having a real hard time reaching with the two-dose regime."

If the J&J vaccine gets approved, health officials recommend choosing a two-dose vaccine option if it's available because of their increased effectiveness.

"Any vaccination is better than none, and clearly the other two reach a higher level in effectiveness but 66% is pretty darn good," Blount said. "If it's the right vaccine for certain areas we need to use it."

According to the FDA, the J&J vaccine works against all variants of the novel coronavirus, but was less effective at preventing symptomatic illness.

When J&J's does are added to Pfizer and Moderna's ongoing distribution, the U.S is expected to have enough vaccine for 130 million adults by the end of March.

"I'm very excited, any vaccine is exciting we have to see from the bigger picture where they think it fits in best and hopefully we will start seeing it distributed," Blount said.

If authorized Friday, J&J said it will have 4 million doses available to ship right away and 100 million doses by the end of June.