US Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Endorses Emergency Use Of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine

Washington: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee on Sunday (February 28) has voted to recommend that Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people ages 18 and older in the United States. The announcement by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as the doses are received, The Hill reported. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 12-0, with one recusal, to recommend the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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Rochelle Walensky called the decision “another milestone toward an end to the pandemic.” This comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved Janssen’s single-dose COVID-19 Vaccine for emergency use in the US in individuals 18 years of age and older.

This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

“As a one-dose vaccine, people do not have to return for a second dose to be protected. In addition, this vaccine does not need to be kept in a freezer and can be stored at refrigerated temperatures — so it is easy to transport and store and allows for expanded availability in most community settings and mobile sites, as supply scales up,” Rochelle Walensky added.

The nation’s third coronavirus vaccine arrives days after the United States surpassed 5,00,000 COVID-19 deaths. The United States has reported more than 28.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 512,000 reported deaths. The demand of vaccines still far exceeds supply, these vaccines can’t come soon enough. US President Joe Biden on Saturday said the approval of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine by the FDA is “exciting news” but warned Americans against letting their guard down as the situation could deteriorate.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccines And Dosage: WHO’s Soumya Swaminathan Answers FAQs On Vaccines

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.