US CDC panel endorses emergency use of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 12-0, with one recusal, to recommend the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for people aged 18 and older

US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee on Sunday has voted to recommend that Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people ages 18 and older in the United States.

The announcement by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as the doses are received, The Hill reported. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 12-0, with one recusal, to recommend the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Walensky called the decision "another milestone toward an end to the pandemic." This comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved Janssen's single-dose COVID-19 Vaccine for emergency use in the US in individuals 18 years of age and older.

"This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible," 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 added.

The nation's third coronavirus vaccine arrives days after the United States surpassed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths.

The United States has reported more than 28.6 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 512,000 reported deaths. The demand of vaccines still far exceeds supply, these vaccines can't come soon enough.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday said the approval of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot coronavirus vaccine by the FDA is "exciting news" but warned Americans against letting their guard down as the situation could deteriorate.