Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Late-Stage Study of First Single-Shot Vaccine Begins in US
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
September 23, 2020

Share

Johnson & Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world’s largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year’s end, maybe sooner.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year’s end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn’t cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Trump on Wednesday tweeted the link to a news report about the Johnson & Johnson study and said the FDA “must move quickly!”

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to “do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

Supplies Would Be Limited and Given First to Vulnerable Groups Such as Health Workers

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year’s end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren’t likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&J’s vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&J’s chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

DON'T MISS

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s Spay, Neuter Fees Rise, but It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Pay Full Price

DON'T MISS

How Much Rain Did Fresno Get? How Long Will It Continue?

DON'T MISS

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

DON'T MISS

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

DON'T MISS

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

DON'T MISS

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

DON'T MISS

‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Name Their Favorite Sketches

DON'T MISS

US Aircraft Carrier Truman Collides With Merchant Ship Near Egypt

DON'T MISS

US Retail Sales Plunged in January After Bustling Holiday Season

UP NEXT

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

UP NEXT

Apple Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Maps

UP NEXT

Red, White, and Blueland? GOP Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename Greenland

UP NEXT

White House Bars AP Reporter From Oval Office Because of AP Style Policy on ‘Gulf of America’

UP NEXT

Russia Has Released Detained American Teacher Marc Fogel, the White House Says

UP NEXT

Canned Tuna Sold at Trader Joe’s, Costco, H-E-B Recalled for Botulism Risk

UP NEXT

Fact Check: No Evidence Chelsea Clinton Took $84 Million From USAID

UP NEXT

Private Jets Collide at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, Killing at Least 1 Person, Authorities Say

UP NEXT

Farmers Caught in Limbo as Trump’s USDA Suspends Program Funding

UP NEXT

53% Approve of Trump’s Job Performance Amid Economic Concerns

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

3 hours ago

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

3 hours ago

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

3 hours ago

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

3 hours ago

‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Name Their Favorite Sketches

3 hours ago

US Aircraft Carrier Truman Collides With Merchant Ship Near Egypt

3 hours ago

US Retail Sales Plunged in January After Bustling Holiday Season

3 hours ago

Pope Francis Hospitalized to Treat Bronchitis, Undergo Tests

3 hours ago

Zelenskyy Says He Will Only Meet Putin After Common Plan With Trump Is Negotiated

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Flirts With Record as Indexes Drift

3 hours ago

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld said Friday that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion language will be removed from the county’s job po...

2 minutes ago

2 minutes ago

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

42 minutes ago

Fresno’s Spay, Neuter Fees Rise, but It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Pay Full Price

1 hour ago

How Much Rain Did Fresno Get? How Long Will It Continue?

The White House's Valentine’s Day Instagram post on immigration, featuring a controversial message about deportation, sparks widespread reactions, while polls show a divided American opinion on mass deportation versus legalization. (Instagram)
3 hours ago

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

3 hours ago

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

3 hours ago

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

3 hours ago

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

3 hours ago

‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Name Their Favorite Sketches

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend