Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Approved By CDC

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was formally approved for use in people 18 and older in the United States by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on  Sunday.

“This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky after the vaccine’s approval.

A senior official at Johnson & Johnson then told reporters that the company will ship 3.9 million doses immediately and that distribution centers could have supply as quickly as Tuesday.

Compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson formula has far less restrictive containment guidelines, meaning it can be better suited for rural areas not equipped to handle large quantities of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses.

“CDC’s latest data suggest that recent declines in COVID-19 cases may be stalling and potentially leveling off at still very high numbers. That is why it is so critical that we remain vigilant and consistently take all of the mitigation steps we know work to stop the spread of COVID-19 while we work our way toward mass vaccination,” said Walensky.

With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved in the United States, President Joe Biden‘s town hall promise last week that all Americans can be vaccinated by the end of July seems more likely than ever.