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U.S. approves Johnson & Johnson 1-shot COVID-19 vaccine

Click to play video: 'Former FDA commissioner says people ‘should be confident’ in taking Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine'
Former FDA commissioner says people ‘should be confident’ in taking Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
WATCH: Former U.S. FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told "Face The Nation" on Sunday that he would take the newly approved Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and encouraged others to also “be confident” about taking it. – Feb 28, 2021

The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.

Health experts are anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race against a virus that already has killed more than 510,000 people in the U.S. and is mutating in increasingly worrisome ways.

The FDA said J&J’s vaccine offers strong protection against what matters most: serious illness, hospitalizations and death. One dose was 85 per cent protective against the most severe COVID-19 illness, in a massive study that spanned three continents — protection that remained strong even in countries such as South Africa, where the variants of most concern are spreading.

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“The more vaccines that have high efficacy that we can get into play, the better,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said ahead of the FDA’s ruling.

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Shipments of a few million doses to be divided among states could begin as early as Monday. By the end of March, J&J has said it expects to deliver 20 million doses to the U.S., and 100 million by summer.

Click to play video: 'Health Canada green lights the AstraZeneca vaccine'
Health Canada green lights the AstraZeneca vaccine

J&J also is seeking authorization for emergency use of its vaccine in Europe and from the World Health Organization. Worldwide, the company aims to produce about 1 billion doses globally by the end of the year. On Thursday, the island nation of Bahrain became the first to clear its use.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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