The first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, a shot from Johnson & Johnson , was authorized for use, a big boost for a mass-vaccination campaign rushing to end the deadliest pandemic in more than a century.
The vaccine’s authorization on Saturday, the third issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will give health authorities a desperately needed new source of doses as they scramble to ramp up inoculations ahead of elusive emerging strains.
J&J said it has begun shipping the vaccine to the U.S. government, which is managing allocation and distribution. That indicates first doses could be administered during the coming week.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we cannot let our guard down now or assume that victory is inevitable. We must continue to remain vigilant, act fast and aggressively, and look out for one another,” President Biden said.
The shot’s addition to the country’s vaccination drive comes at a precarious moment in the pandemic in the U.S. Newly reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been dropping in recent weeks, but remain higher than peaks seen last summer and spring.
