J&J: 2nd shot works

Makes COVID vaccine as good as Pfizer & Moderna

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine got a shot of good news Tuesday.

A second dose of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine significantly strengthens the shield against symptomatic infections, the company announced.

During a clinical trial, researchers discovered that another Johnson & Johnson inoculation provides 94% protection against mild to severe cases of coronavirus, up from the 74% delivered by just a single shot. The double-dose regimen yields results comparable to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which require patients get a pair of shots given several weeks apart.

Researchers also found a second Johnson & Johnson shot administered six months after the first dose had a 12-fold increase in antibodies — compared with a four-fold increase for people who got a second shot after two months.

The new data will be presented to the Food and Drug

Administration as a reason to authorize a booster shot for some 14.8 million Americans who got the company’s single-dose vaccine.

“Our large real-world-evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations,” Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of Janssen Research & Development, said in a statement.

“Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.”

Johnson & Johnson’s announcement comes just days after an FDA advisory committee recommended authorizing Pfizer booster shots for people who are at least 65 or at high risk of COVID. A final decision from the agency is expected to be delivered in the coming days.

Health officials, meanwhile, have said they needed more data on the J&J vaccine before they can recommend boosters of those shots.