Filenews 4 March 2021
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine works completely differently from Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and is highly effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 disease. Johnson & Johnson aims to produce 100 million doses of the vaccine in the first half of 2021.
What is Johnson & Johnson's vaccine [awaiting EU approval mid March?
This vaccine is based on a manufacturing technology that uses a virus called adenos and is a common cause of respiratory infections. The DNA genetic material of adenovirus is properly modified to produce the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein S and cause the development of an immune response in the human body. The adenus cannot multiply and therefore cannot cause infection in the vaccinated person. It is worth noting that this approach is based on stable molecules of genetic DNA material and therefore does not require deep freezing conditions for storage and distribution.
How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine differ from the other vaccines against SARS-CoV-2?
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rely on technology that uses mRNA as a genetic material that encodes for the S protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to invade human cells. The mRNA of the vaccine is protected from lipid nanoparticles surrounding it and once it is injection into the human body it causes the body's immune response. However, because the genetic material is rapidly degraded at room temperatures, these vaccines should be kept in very cold environments until they are administered, unlike Johnson & Johnson's vaccine which can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Another feature of the new vaccine is its administration in a single dose, unlike Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. This facilitates the implementation of the new vaccine at population level, in particular as regards the vaccination of marginalised social groups and the observance of the vaccination programme by the population as a whole.
How safe and effective is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
Initial results from Hohnson & Johnson vaccine studies showed that 90% of those vaccinated developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. According to these preliminary clinical study data, which included over 40,000 people in 8 countries worldwide, one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, 85% effective in preventing serious disease and 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. The data show that the new vaccine is also effective in terms of infection with the new strain of crown B.1.351 first detected in South Africa. No severe allergic reaction was observed in clinical studies and adverse reactions were similar to those observed with other vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, while 9% of participants had fever.
Source: protothema.gr
