Janssen vaccine against covid-19 receives final registration from Anvisa

São Paulo – Janssen’s vaccine against covid-19 received final registration from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) this Wednesday, the 5th. An additional dose was also considered two months after the primary immunization. The immunizer was the fourth to receive approval for emergency use on March 31 last year.

The immunizing agent is administered in a single dose of 0.5 ml. After two months, 0.5 ml of support can be given again. The vaccine is only recommended for people 18 years of age and older.

The immunizer can be administered as a heterologous booster dose to persons who have completed the primary vaccination program with the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology vaccine. In Brazil, the only one of its kind with competent management is Pfizer.

The vaccine based on a recombinant adenovirus vector has overall efficacy, according to data presented by pharmaceutical company Janssen from Johnson & Johnson. Protection against severe cases increases to 85%.

According to the American newspaper New York Times, even with weaker protection, the immunizer appears to provide as complete protection as the Pfizer and Moderna immunizers. By June, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that vaccination with the Moderna vaccine resulted in the lowest rates of serious infections; People who had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had the highest rates, and Pfizer was somewhere in between.

But according to the report, Johnson & Johnson had shut down the only unit still producing usable batches of the Janssen vaccine at the end of last year. suits. The suspension is temporary and the Leiden, Netherlands facility is expected to resume vaccine production in a few months. The drugmaker has millions of doses of immunizers in stock.

The shelf life of the product is 24 months when stored at -25°C to -15°C. Once thawed, the vaccine should be stored at 2°C to 8°C and is valid for six months.

In Africa, dispensing a single dose of vaccine that can be stored in the refrigerator for months is turning out to be the most viable option. South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare is poised to supply large volumes of products to the continent, even with the temporary suspension. suits.

leon ferrari