The US pharmaceutical and medical device company Johnson and Johnson has developed a vaccine that in the early trials showed a strong immune response to the novel coronavirus with a single dose, an interim report published on the medical website medRxiv revealed.”The safety profile and immunogenicity after only a single dose are supportive for further clinical development of [vaccine] Ad26.COV2.S at a dose level of 5×1010 vp, as a potentially protective vaccine against COVID-19,” the report said on Friday. “A single dose of Ad26.COV2.S elicited strong humoral responses in the vast majority of vaccine recipients.” The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is the fourth in the United States to enter the final phase of clinical trials.
President Donald Trump has promised that 100 million doses of a vaccine will be distributed throughout the United States by the end of the year. Trump said a vaccine could be available for distribution before the presidential election on November 3.Many Democrats have accused Trump of trying to fast-track the vaccine approval process in order to get one delivered ahead of the November election.
The Trump administration on September 16 revealed its delivery plan for the COVID-19 vaccine and said that the vaccine would be provided to all US citizens free of charge. As per reports, the Trump administration plans on delivering a ‘safe and effective’ COVID-19 vaccine to multiple sites with no cost for the providers and no out of pocket charge for the recipient.The statement also revealed that there may be limited availability of the vaccine in the initial stages and in such an event, front line workers and essential workers would be given priority and that while the Pentagon would be assisting in its distribution, the vaccine would only be administered by civilian health workers.
ALSO READ: Australian PM urges sharing of Covid-19 vaccine, calls it ‘moral responsibility’
ALSO READ: Bhutan backs for UNSC expansion, supports G4 nations candidature as permanent members
