Johnson & Johnson's Vaccine Only 73.6% Effective
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J&J is lagging behind its competitors, as its efficacy rates were proven to be lower than that of Pfizer and Moderna.
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A pack and vials of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen Covid-19 vaccine photographed on April 30, 2021, at the ZNA Middelheim hospital in Antwerp | AFP
A study published Tuesday in the American Medical Association's JAMA Network Open showed that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was only 73.6% effective.
The study assessed patients within the Mayo Clinic Health System in the period spanning from February to July of 2021. The subjects amounted to nearly 9,000 patients who received the vaccine, and their results were compared to those of around 89,000 unvaccinated patients. The research was based on seeing the amount of each group that would test positive for the virus.
Out of the 8,889 patients who had received the J&J vaccine, 60 (0.67%) had tested positive for COVID-19, and out of the 88,898 unvaccinated patients, 2,236 (2.51%) tested positive. The researchers reached the conclusion that the vaccine had a 73.6% efficacy rate, and reduced infections by 3.73 times.
Although the research showed a smaller number of severe cases, researchers could not conclude its ability to prevent deaths, as the number of patients who did test positive for the virus was too small.
To compare J&J to its "competitors", Moderna was concluded to be 93% protective against hospitalization, and Pfizer was concluded to be 88% effective.
Reportedly, the vaccine will receive some improvements, which may come in the form of a second dose or a booster shot.
