The Johnson & Johnson anti-Covid vaccine should be approved by the European Medicines Agency in early March, and distributed from late March or early April, French Minister for Industry Agnès Pannier-Runacher said on Sunday.
This green light from the European Union will be granted "at the
beginning of March since the European Medicines Agency is reviewing all the information that Johnson & Johnson has communicated to it in order to be able to market this vaccine,
" said Ms. Pannier-Runacher on the France 3 television channel.
Read also: Covid-19: Agnès Pannier-Runacher, chief negotiator on vaccines
The first doses should "
arrive at the end of March-beginning of April since there is a deadline for the production of the doses
", this is "
still in discussion with the laboratory
", she added.
"
This is very good news because this vaccine requires a single dose, however it is possible that it requires boosters, we do not know yet
", she warned.
The United States on Saturday granted emergency clearance for Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine for people 18 years of age and older.
Ms. Pannier-Runacher further specified that of the "
target
" of 600 million doses of vaccines expected in Europe by the end of June, 77 million will be intended for France.
"
This corresponds to the population quota, that is to say each time 10 million doses are delivered in Europe, there are 1.5 million for France because we represent 15% of the European population
", Ms. Pannier-Runacher explained.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday she was "
optimistic
" about her goal of vaccinating 70% of the EU's adult population, or some 225 million Europeans, by "
the end of summer
”, thanks to the expected sharp increase in laboratory deliveries.