J&J Begins Final Trial Of Single-Shot COVID Vaccine

Reuters reports:

Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday kicked off a final 60,000-person trial of a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that potentially would simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals using two doses.

The company expects results of the Phase III trial by year end or early next year, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&J’s chief scientific officer, said in a joint press conference with officials from the National Institutes of Health and the Trump administration.

Rival vaccines from Moderna Inc, Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca all require two shots separated by several weeks, which make them much more difficult to administer.

Johnson & Johnson is beginning a huge final-stage study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus. It will be one of the world’s largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing in 60,000 people. https://t.co/CWXnKXhI7Z

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 23, 2020