The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for Americans who are 18 years of age and older, a final clearance for the jab after it was authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use.
On Sunday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the vaccine to be administered to people 18 and older, reports Xinhua news agency.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed the recommendation that endorsed the safety and effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine and its use across the country.
“This official CDC recommendation — which follows Saturday’s FDA decision to authorise emergency use of the vaccine — is another milestone toward an end to the pandemic,” Walensky said in a statement.
As a one-dose vaccine, people do not have to return for a second dose to be protected. In addition, this vaccine does not need to be kept in a freezer and can be stored at refrigerated temperatures — so it is easy to transport and store and allows for expanded availability in most community settings and mobile sites, as supply scales up, Walensky said. The CDC recommendation came a day after the FDA’s authoriseation.