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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdam has recommended the use of the Corona vaccine from U.S. manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. This means a fourth vaccine should soon be administered in the European Union. However, final approval must be granted by the EU Commission. Austria’s Health Ministry sees “tailwind” for domestic vaccination campaign.
However, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), which is responsible for the matter, has only recommended conditional approval of the vaccine – and that is for everyone 18 years of age and older. The final decision must now be made by the European Commission. However, this is considered a formality and could take place on the same day.
The advantage of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is that it only needs to be injected once and does not need to be stored frozen. In addition, the vaccine shows good efficacy against those viral mutations discovered in South Africa and Latin America. It is a vector vaccine, using a modified adenovirus as a carrier.
The health ministry told APA the move was “good news for the EU and for Austria.” “With the fourth vaccine now licensed in the EU, our vaccination strategy can be implemented step by step as planned, allowing the vaccination campaign to gain further momentum,” it said. “Currently, we expect an availability of circa 2.5 million from Johnson & Johnson by the end of the year at the latest.”
The first deliveries are expected in the second quarter, he said, adding that the EMA’s recommendation does not include an upper age limit. The administration recommendation as a single injection is particularly advantageous for making the Corona vaccine available to hard-to-reach groups of people – such as those in precarious working or housing conditions, he said.
“Reinforcement for Austria’s vaccination program”
“In view of the recent increase in the number of infections and the spread of coronavirus mutations, the approval of the vaccine candidate is another extremely gratifying signal,” said Alexander Herzog, secretary general of the Austrian Pharmaceutical Industry Association (PHARMIG). Austria’s vaccination program thus receives an important boost, “which can bring noticeable relief for hospitals and the population in the coming months.”
EU expects deliveries in April
The EU expects the first deliveries in April. The commission had already ordered vaccine doses for 200 million people. Of these, Austria has claimed 2.5 million doses. So far, vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneaca, manufacturers previously approved in the EU, have been vaccinated in Austria. However, there are fears that the company may not be able to deliver on time. The manufacturer assured that it would adhere to the agreements and deliver from April.
Vaccine already approved in the USA
About two weeks ago, the drug, which was developed by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen in the Netherlands, had already been approved in the United States. According to the EMA, efficacy is around 67 percent. For severe covid-19 disease, protection in trials was more than 85 percent – and that includes elders. The vaccine is also said to be effective against virus variants.
- source: krone.at/picture: rfi.fr
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