CDC panel approves of emergency use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee voted to recommend approval for emergency use of the Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, the Hill reports.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to accept the recommendation, allowing for vaccinations to start.

The vote was 12-0, in favor of approving the vaccine, with one recusal.

If approved, it will be in a key moment for the COVID-19 pandemic, as reports slide back and forth from positive to negative. The U.S. reached 500,000 coronavirus deaths last week, a dark milestone that has many Americans placing their hope in the new administration's vaccine distribution strategy.

While vaccines are starting to have an effect on the rate of spread of the pandemic, demand still far surpasses supply. Johnson & Johnson's vaccines are not readily available in massive quantities yet, with the company saying they are only able to provide 4 million doses upfront, according  to the Hill.

The company has said it will increase its supply to 20 million doses by the end of March, and then to 100 million by the end of summer.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine only requires patients to receive one dose, unlike Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines which both require the patient to receive two doses. Another advantage the Johnson & Johnson shot has over its competitors is that it is able to be stored in a normal refrigerator for extended periods, while Pfizer and Moderna both require ultra-cold temperature storage.

These superior traits make the Johnson & Johnson shot more efficient and likely to ease the mass rollout of the vaccines across the U.S.