MILAN, March 12 (Reuters) - Italy's medicines agency AIFA
said on Friday it has approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine
produced by Johnson & Johnson, following the green light
from European drugs regulator (EMA) on Thursday.
The vaccine is the fourth to be endorsed for use in the
European Union after vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech,
, AstraZeneca-Oxford University and Moderna
, and is recommended for those over 18 years of age.
It's the first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
"This is the fourth vaccine to be available with the
important additional advantage of a single dose and ease of
administration, therefore ideal for the setting of family
doctors. From mid-April, an important reality," said AIFA's
general director Nicola Magrini in the agency's website.
The Italian agency said it confirmed the EMA's assessment of
the vaccine's efficacy, which reaches up to 77% 14 days after
administration and 85% 28 days after administration.
(Reporting by Emilio Parodi
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)