It is the fourth corona vaccine approved in the EU: On the recommendation of the European Medicines Agency, Brussels has approved the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.The corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson can now also be used in the European Union. The EU Commission approved this Thursday, as President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter. “More safe and effective vaccines are emerging,” wrote von der Leyen. It is the fourth vaccine against Covid-19 to be approved in the EU.

The authorization, endorsed by the Member States, follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough evaluation of the safety, efficacy, and quality of the vaccine in question conducted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “The Janssen vaccine is the fourth authorized vaccine for the EU portfolio and will help us speed up the vaccination campaign in the second quarter of 2021. The fact that it requires a single dose will bring us closer to our collective goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult population by the end of the summer.”

The Janssen vaccine will be given in one dose to adults aged 18 and over to prevent COVID-19. The vaccine is based on an adenovirus, which is a harmless virus that provides the same instructions as the virus that causes COVID-19. This allows the body’s cells to make the protein that exists uniquely in the COVID-19 virus. The person’s immune system realizes that this unique protein is not supposed to be in the body and responds by producing natural defenses against COVID-19 infection. The adenovirus contained in the vaccine cannot reproduce and does not cause disease. Based on the positive opinion of the EMA, the Commission verified all elements in support of the conditional marketing authorization and consulted the Member States before granting it.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health, adds: “Our portfolio now contains four safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19. We are working at full speed to provide citizens with vaccines as soon as possible, both in Europe and beyond. The fact that this vaccine only requires a single dose can put us in gear. With the Janssen vaccine entering the market, we now have access to a total of 1.8 billion doses of licensed vaccines, based on different technology platforms. This is essential to guarantee access to vaccinations for Europe and our international partners.”