Johnson & Johnson has submitted its vaccine to the FDA for approval. Unlike the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, this one is a single shot, doesn’t have to be stored at freezing temperatures, and is less expensive. It also has a lower efficacy rate.
“Among the 30 or 40 vaccines out there that are in clinical use, there's maybe just a couple of others that have hit 90% efficacy or above. It's very, very unusual for that level of efficacy,” says Dr. Edward Jones-Lopez, assistant professor of Medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
He says overall though, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has “no concerning safety signals as of now” and will likely be approved within the next three months.