In a significant step towards boosting its vaccine arsenal, India has given emergency use authorization (EUA) to US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in the country.

"India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson's single-dose Covid-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against," India’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.

The shot will be brought to India through a supply agreement with Indian vaccine maker Biological E Limited.

So long, four vaccines had been given Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) in India - AstraZeneca's Covishield, the India-made Covaxin, Russia’s Sputnik V and the US’ Moderna.

"We are pleased to announce that on 7th August 2021, the Government of India issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 single-dose vaccine in India, to prevent COVID in individuals 18 years of age and older," a Johnson & Johnson India spokesperson said.

The healthcare major’s vaccine got the approval just  a day after it applied for EUA. The company  said Biological E will be an important part of Johnson and Johnson's global supply chain network, helping to supply its Covid-19 vaccine Janssen through extensive collaborations and partnerships with governments, health authorities and organizations such as Gavi and the COVAX Facility.

The US drug major claims that its vaccine, in clinical trials, proved to be 85 per cent effective in preventing a severe disease. The vaccine also showed protection against the Delta variant and other emerging strains of coronavirus
According to NDTV, studies have shown that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66 per cent effective in preventing cases of moderate to severe illness and 85 per cent effective against severe cases of Covid-19. It completely prevented hospitalizations and death four weeks after inoculation, according to studies.

In February 2021, the US FDA authorized Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.

The pharma company stated that it is an important milestone that paves the way to bringing the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to the people of India, and the rest of the world, through a collaboration with Biological E. Limited.

India has crossed a significant milestone of administering 500 million vaccine doses under a nationwide vaccination drive.

(SAM)