As expected, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the go-ahead for approval of the Covid vaccine from the US manufacturer Johnson & Johnson on Thursday. Now the ball lies with the EU Commission, whose approval is, however, a purely formality.

In contrast to the vaccines from competitors Biontech / Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, only one dose is required. The Johnson & Johnson product should also be easier to handle because it can be stored at refrigerator temperature. According to Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens), Austria has ordered 2,5 million cans.

The effectiveness of the vaccine is said to be around 66 percent and protect 85 percent against severe courses. This is below the official figures for the competing products from Pfizer and Moderna. The vaccine now recommended for approval by the EMA was developed in Belgium.

EU has ordered 200 million cans

The EU Commission has ordered a total of 200 vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson. Around 55 million of these are to be delivered in the second quarter of 2021. However, there are now considerable doubts that the promise to actually be able to deliver this amount by the end of June 2021 can be met. A few more weeks will pass before the first cans arrive in Austria and Germany.

A few days ago it became known that EMA approval had been applied for for the Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik V. Due to a national emergency approval, Hungary is currently the only EU country that is already using this vaccine. More and more EU countries including Austria, are pushing for the approval of Sputnik V.