May 28, 2021 - World

U.K. authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Oriana González

Picture of a hand holding a vial of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — Photo: Jonas Güttler/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

United Kingdom health regulators on Friday authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for people 18 and older.

Why it matters: The J&J is the fourth vaccine to receive approval in the U.K., which has experienced one of the world's best vaccine rollouts. 58% of people in the U.K. have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 36% are fully vaccinated, according to Bloomberg's tracker.

Unlike the other shots that have been authorized — Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna — the J&J vaccine only requires one dose.
U.K. health regulators said the vaccine was found to be 67% effective in preventing infection and 85% effective in preventing serious cases and hospitalizations, AP notes.

The big picture: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Thursday that a contagious coronavirus variant first identified in India is beginning to spread rapidly.

Public Health England on Thursday reported almost 7,000 cases of the variant, up from the over 3,500 cases reported the week prior, per Reuters.
The rise in infections could threaten England's final stage of reopening — originally scheduled for June 21, Reuters reports.

Go deeper: Former Boris Johnson aide gives scathing testimony on U.K.'s early COVID response

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U.K. authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

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