The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday approved the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid shot as a booster jab for people aged 18 and over, to be administered at least two months after they received their previous dose.
The European regulator approved the J&J booster dose for usage after data showed that it increases antibodies that protect against the Covid pandemic, as nations rush to find ways to contain the spread of Omicron.
In its assessment, the EMA stated that public health officials across the EU are now cleared to administer the J&J jab as a booster after one dose of the company’s Jansen Covid jab or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines.
The EMA has already signed off the use of the Pfizer and Moderna booster jabs six months after the first two doses have been received. The agency is currently weighing authorizing AstraZeneca’s booster dose.
Countries globally have stepped up their vaccination campaigns in recent weeks in a bid to boost protection offered to citizens against the pandemic as Omicron rapidly infects citizens around the world. While data is currently limited, the World Health Organization has warned that Omicron could pose a “very high” risk due to its significant transmissibility.
