Jon CohenScience's COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation.Less than 24 hours after the small biotech Novavax announced the largely successful results of its COVID-19 vaccine, a vaccine powerhouse, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), said its candidate also had strong efficacy against the pandemic coronavirus, including several new variants that have concerned scientists.
In a press release this morning, the company reported efficacy of 85% in preventing severe cases of COVID-19, including complete protection from hospitalization and death starting 28 days after the dose was given.
Unlike other COVID-19 vaccines with proven protection that were designed to include a booster dose weeks later, J&J bet on.