Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine will be available in India in small quantities July onwards.
The Association of Healthcare Providers (India) is procuring the vaccine directly from the US-based manufacturer, India Today reported quoting sources.
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine will be priced at $25 (around Rs 1800) in India. Initially, only a few thousand doses are likely to be available.
It’s a viral vector vaccine which does not have to be stored frozen in sub-zero temperatures, so it will be suitable for countries like India.
The US pharmaceutical major has already initiated talks with the Union government to authenticate its manufacturing process and specifications in India. Since it is no longer mandatory for a vaccine approved by the US drug regulator to conduct bridging trials in India, it’s expected to be cleared for use here soon.
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J&J’s vaccine has an efficacy of 66.3 per cent for mild to moderate COVID-19 and 76.3 per cent for severe to critical infection, according to WHO. The one-shot vaccine provides 100 per cent protection from hospitalization 28 days after vaccination.
However, there have been no studies on how effective the J&J vaccine will be against new coronavirus variants like Delta and Delta Plus.
