J&J's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine gets the nod in India
India has approved Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced today. The American company had applied for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the jab on August 5. It has now become the country's fifth shot against the deadly infection, that has claimed more than 4 lakh lives here.
'India expands its vaccine basket'
"India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against #COVID19 (sic)," Mandaviya tweeted this afternoon.
You can read the tweet here
J&J's vaccine is called Janssen
J&J's vaccine, Janssen, is a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, currently approved in several countries including the United States. The company recently claimed the jab is effective against the highly-contagious Delta variant and other strains of the coronavirus. It will be brought to India in collaboration with the Indian vaccine maker Biological E Limited, according to a statement by J&J.
It has been mired in controversies
J&J's vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the US this February. However, weeks after that, the jab was linked to a rare but serious blood clotting disorder, leading to a brief pause in its use. Apart from that, in July, the European medicines regulator added a rare nerve-degenerating disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome, as a possible side effect of the vaccine.
Which other vaccines are approved in India?
India had begun its vaccination drive with Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield and the indigenous jab COVAXIN, in January. In April, Russian vaccine Sputnik V was approved by the Indian authorities, however, its supplies remain limited. Most recently, American firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine became the fourth shot to be okayed in India. But its doses have not arrived in the country as yet.
How is India's vaccination drive going?
India has administered more than 50 crore vaccine doses so far. Even though over 28.5% of the population have received at least one shot, just about 8% have been fully vaccinated. India has set a goal of inoculating nearly a billion people by the end of this year. However, several states continue to report a shortage of vaccines.
