J&J Booster Reduced Hospitalizations in South Africa, Study Shows

A booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine helped reduce hospitalizations and serious illness among South African medical workers as the Omicron variant swept the nation, a new study says

About 69,000 health care workers were given a booster dose of the J&J vaccine between Nov. 15 and Dec. 20, according to the study published in medRxiv.

The booster provided about 85% effectiveness against hospitalization because of COVID, the study says.

“Our data demonstrates that a homologous boost given to (health care workers) 6-9 months after the initial … vaccine is protective against hospital admissions,” the study said.

Linda-Gail Bekker, the study’s co-lead investigator, told Reuters that the study “reassures us that COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective for the purpose they were designed, which is to protect people against severe disease and death.”

The study is good news for Johnson & Johnson, which has come under criticism since the vaccine was rolled out.

Earlier this month, a panel of experts that advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines said the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the preferred vaccine for adults because the J&J carries the risk of a rare but potentially fatal side effect that causes blood clots.

Johnson & Johnson welcomed the results of the new study.

“This adds to our growing body of evidence which shows that the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine remains strong and stable over time, including against circulating variants such as Omicron and Delta,” Mathai Mammen, M.D., the global head of Janssen Research & Development, said in a statement.

Health authorities around the world hoped the J&J vaccine would help bring COVID under control in undeveloped nations. The initial J&J vaccination requires only one shot, compared to two shots of the mRNA-based Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and doesn’t need extreme refrigeration for transport and storage, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/965812?src=soc_fb_221231_mscpedt_news_mdscp_booster&faf=1

Créditos: Comité científico Covid