FDA report: Single-dose vaccine safe and effective

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 shot is about 66 percent effective against moderate to severe illness and 85 percent effective at preventing severe cases. U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists on Wednesday also said the single-dose vaccine is safe, paving the way for the agency’s advisers to meet on Friday to debate whether to grant emergency use authorization.

How is vaccine distribution going elsewhere? The United Nations’ COVAX initiative made its first delivery on Wednesday. Ghana received 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for free and plans to start vaccinations on March 2. Some 92 countries are also in line for shots through the program, while 90 other nations and eight territories pick up the bill. COVAX plans to provide enough vaccines for participant countries to immunize 20-30 percent of the population, but it has already hit delays and shortages. The Ivory Coast is set to receive the next batch.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report about poor nations’ struggle to acquire COVID-19 vaccines as richer countries buy them up.