South Korea drug safety ministry approves J&J COVID-19 vaccine

FILE PHOTO: Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines are seen at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York, U.S., March 3, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

SEOUL — South Korea’s food and drug safety ministry has granted final approval for the use of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine as the country pushes ahead with its vaccination campaign, the News1 agency reported on Wednesday.

The decision was made after a panel of South Korean advisers last week recommended that the single-dose shot was safe and effective, the report said.

The J&J vaccine marks the third COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized in South Korea, following ones from AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech, both of which require two doses.