J&J COVID-19 vaccine up to 96% protective against death: South Africa Study

A South Africa research has shown that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 offers over 90% protection against death. This was informed on August 6 by the joint lead investigator for the country’s J&J trial Glenda Gray. Gray reportedly said that the single-shot J&J vaccine protected between 91% to 96.2% of healthcare workers against death.

South Africa study shows that J&J COVID vaccine protects against death

As per reports, Gray stated that this was their primary endpoint and that they are able to say that this J&J vaccine protected health workers against death. The vaccine has been working well in South Africa. It was administered to healthcare workers from mid-February to May in a research study. During the course of the study, 477,234 health workers were vaccinated. She reportedly said that consistently after receiving the vaccine, there were very few deaths occurring in the vaccinated group. This was said in comparison to the control group. She added that it remarkably showed up to 96.2% protection against death.

J&J vaccine provides 71% protection against Delta variant 

Gray said that the single-shot J&J vaccine offered 91% to 96.2% protection against death. She also added that the vaccine was offering 67% efficacy against infection when the Beta coronavirus variant dominates and about 71% when the Delta variant dominates. South Africa's health regulator had approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine shot in April. It is being used in the national vaccine programme along with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

South Africa vaccination status 

South Africa's vaccination campaign had commenced shakily earlier this year, in February. This was because the government had paused AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccinations. The pause was put in place because of a small trial that showed that the shot offered minimal protection against mild to moderate illness caused by the Beta variant of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the Beta variant was dominant in the country. The vaccinations in the country have since ramped up. Over 8.3 million people were vaccinated in the country as of August 5, Thursday. The newly appointed health minister, Joe Phaahla, also stated that the government was planning to start using other COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the regulator, including the Sinovac shot.

(IMAGE: AP REPRESENTATIVE)