By Matt Grossman

 

Johnson & Johnson's booster vaccine for Covid-19 was 85% effective against hospitalization in a study conducted in South Africa after the Omicron variant became dominant, the company said Thursday.

The study was conducted among healthcare workers in South Africa who had received a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as their primary vaccination. Vaccine efficacy against hospitalization increased to 85% after a booster shot, even after Omicron became the most widespread strain in the region, New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson said.

A separate study of vaccine regimens found that the company's booster vaccine increased the immune response when administered to patients who had received a different primary vaccine, Johnson & Johnson said. The Johnson & Johnson booster generated a 41-fold increase in neutralizing antibody responses and a 5-fold increase in CD8+ T-cells to Omicron by four weeks following the boost, the company said.

 

Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 30, 2021 06:58 ET (11:58 GMT)

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