Canada has approved a fourth vaccine against COVID-19
It, unlike the others, requires a single application.
On March 5, Health Canada issued a verdict on another vaccine for coronavirus infection. This time, the drug from the American company Johnson & Johnson received approval — it became the fourth vaccine approved in the country. The Canadian government has already signed a contract for 10 million doses and may order another 28 million.
Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is both safe and effective. Results from a phase III trial involving 43,000 volunteers showed that the drug reduced the risk of moderate to severe disease by 66% two weeks after vaccination. One-third of the subjects were over the age of 60. And Johnson & Johnson's vaccine requires only a single administration, unlike other approved drugs in Canada: Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
In addition, the vaccine can be stored and transported at low temperatures (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) for three months and at room temperature for three hours, making it much easier to distribute around the country.
It is currently approved for vaccination for people 18 years of age or older, including the elderly over 65. Additional clinical trials will be conducted to see if Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be used in children.
Now only one vaccine, Novavax, remains under consideration by the Ministry of Health, but a decision on it is not expected before several weeks or even months from now.
