Before we dive into the latest news from Johnson & Johnson, let’s start with a semi-friendly reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so.
On Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson shared data (still to be peer-reviewed) showing that boosters complementing its single-shot COVID-19vaccine provided increased protection. In a statement, Paul Stoffels, M.D.—the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee at J&J—summarized the findings of the newly released data as being “critical” in the continued fight against the pandemic.
“A single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that is easy to use, distribute, and administer, and that provides strong and long-lasting protection is crucial to vaccinating the global population,” Stoffels, who also serves as Chief Scientific Officer, said. “At the same time, we now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly.”
Per J&J, a booster shot at two months (56 days) after the initial provided 100 percent protection against severe COVID-19, at least 14 days post-final vaccination. It is also said to provide 75 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 globally, as well as 94 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 in the U.S.
“When a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was given two months after the first shot, antibody levels rose to four to six times higher than observed after the single shot,” a company rep added in their statement on Tuesday.
When a booster of the J&J vaccine was given six months after the initial single shot, antibody levels are said to have increased nine-fold one week after the booster. This number continued to climb, hitting 12-fold higher four weeks after the booster was administered. These rises, per J&J, were “irrespective of age.”
In the coming weeks, as President Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci recently explained, more decisions are expected to be announced regarding booster plans for each vaccine option.
And on that note, get vaccinated. It’s easy.
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