PH to sign deal for 6 million Janssen vaccine doses this week

MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday said the government was expecting to sign this week the supply agreement with Johnson & Johnson for 6 million doses.

Eric Domingo, chief of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the agency also expected to complete its evaluation of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine against COVID-19 within this week following its application for an emergency use authorization (EUA).

Reporting to President Duterte during his Talk to the People, Domingo said Janssen’s single dose vaccine already had EUA in the United States, Europe, Canada, Switzerland and also secured the World Health Organization emergency use listing.

The US FDA said clinical trials for the Janssen vaccine was 67-percent effective in preventing moderate to severe critical COVID occurring at least 14 days after vaccination, and 66-percent effective in preventing moderate to severe/critical disease at least 28 days after vaccination.

If only severe/critical COVID cases are considered, the vaccine was approximately 77 percent effective in preventing the disease at least 14 days after vaccination, and 85 percent at least 28 days after vaccination.