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J&J's one shot vaccine nears

Bloomberg

Here's the latest news from the global pandemic.

The one-shot vaccine is on its way

Just one shot is all it takes.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Sunday in an emergency meeting to recommend Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 single-shot vaccine for U.S. adults 18 years old and older.

The 12-0 vote by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices followed a unanimous recommendation Friday from Food and Drug Administration advisers and agency clearance on Saturday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has signed off, which is all that's needed for distribution of the third Covid-19 vaccine available in the U.S.

The shot differs from those already in use, one from Moderna and the other from partners Pfizer and BioNTech, because of its one-dose regimen and its ability to be stored in a refrigerator, both of which contribute to ease of distribution and administration.

Those features may help immunizations reach some groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic, such as the homeless, rural residents, people with involved law enforcement actions, the disabled and homebound as well as those with limited access to health care, a CDC reviewer said.

Vials containing doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Photographer: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP

Shots could be administered in doctors' offices, as well. Biden administration officials who held a briefing call Sunday on condition on anonymity said the government would begin shipping 3.9 million doses that are already available

But health officials may need to persuade people to take one shot from J&J rather than two doses from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. A February survey found only 7% of people would choose a single-dose vaccine, compared with 58% who said they prefer a two-dose series, according to a presentation in the online meeting. About one in five said they would take either.

Of those who want a two-dose shot, 28% said they would get a single-dose option one rather than wait a month to get another one. The survey was conducted before all the data on J&J's inoculation became available, which could affect attitudes.

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, said Sunday that he wouldn't hesitate to take J&J's vaccine. Americans should take any vaccine available to them, Fauci said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."—Angelica LaVito

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