By Bisola Adeyemo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved an emergency use of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for Nigerians.
Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
She said: “After a thorough evaluation, the NAFDAC vaccine committee concluded that the data on the vaccine were robust and met criteria for efficacy, safety and quality.
“Thee data also show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks thereby supporting the manufacturer’s recommended use. Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is the third vaccine recommended in Nigeria for preventing COVID-19.
“The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a single dose. Results from a clinical trial involving people in the United States, South Africa and Latin American countries found that Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine was effective at preventing COVID-19 in people from 18 years of age.
“The Phase III clinical trial involved over 44,000 people. Half received a single dose of the vaccine and half were given placebo (a dummy injection). People did not know if they had been given Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine or placebo, The nation reports
“The trial found a 67 per cent reduction in the number of symptomatic COVID-19 cases after 2 weeks in people who received Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.”
