European Union Authorizes Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

The European Commission approved Janssens COVID-19 vaccine Ad26.COV2.S for use in individuals aged 18 years and older on Thursday, amid concerns and frustrations with what has been a slow inoculation campaign. The EU signed a contract with the company to deliver 200 million doses of the vaccine, with an option for an additional 200 million more.

In the Ukraine, after struggling to get a hold of vaccine doses to deliver to its citizens, officials are now concerned about misinformation being spread leading to a large amount of vaccine hesitancy in its population. The country has so far only administered 23,000 doses out of a population of 42 million. Maksym Stepanov, the Ukrainian health minister, stated that the political fight within the country was eroding confidence in the vaccines.

Additionally, in the United States, President Joe Biden recently announced that the government is purchasing an additional 100 million doses of the Janssen vaccine, which are anticipated to be delivered in the latter half of the year. The president has previously stated that he aims to have 1 dose of vaccine available to every citizen by the end of May.

Data Table per Our World in Data (March 11, 2021, 12 AM EST)

A growing number of states in the US are expanding their vaccine eligibility as vaccine production and inoculations begin to ramp up. States like Alaska, Texas, Georgia and New York have all allowed more people to get their first dose.

Data Table per CDC COVID-19 Tracker (March 10, 2021, 6 AM EST)

For more information on COVID-19 vaccination research, distribution, and assessment, check out some of these recent Contagion stories:

Home COVID-19 Testing Could Prevent Infections and Reduce Deaths

Single Dose of mRNA Vaccine May be Enough for COVID-19 Experienced People

Why COVID-19 Booster Vaccines May Be Warranted This Year