Health authorities in the UK have authorized the use of the "Johnson & Johnson" vaccine against COVID-19 after it demonstrated high efficacy in protecting against symptoms of the disease. According to British Sky News, the UK has approved the one-dose "Johnson" vaccine, which has shown an efficacy of up to 67 percent in preventing severe and moderate symptoms upon infection. Medical studies indicate that the "Johnson" vaccine provides complete protection against hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.
British Health Minister Matt Hancock stated in a statement that the approval of the "Johnson" vaccine gives a new boost to the successful vaccination program in the UK. The minister noted that the vaccination program has so far helped save the lives of more than 13,000 people in the country, stating, "We now have four authorized vaccines to help protect people from this terrible virus." Hancock added that this one-dose vaccine will encourage people to get vaccinated to curb the pandemic.
The UK has requested 20 million doses of the vaccine. Chief Medical Officer for England, Jonathan Van-Tam, stated that the "Johnson" vaccine may be used to vaccinate hard-to-reach individuals, particularly in remote areas, who may miss a second dose.
The approval of this vaccine in the UK follows significant controversy in the United States earlier due to reports of blood clots among some vaccine recipients. It was later determined that the clots observed in a limited number of recipients were not different from those noted with other vaccines like Pfizer, and thus there is no cause for concern, according to experts.
In April, the use of the "Johnson & Johnson" vaccine was temporarily halted while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated eight serious cases of blood clots among seven million vaccinated individuals. One person from the eight cases died after receiving the "Johnson & Johnson" vaccine. Vaccination with "Johnson & Johnson" resumed a week later after health concerns were dispelled by American experts.
