DOUBLE UP

Johnson & Johnson Says Two Doses of Its Vaccine Give 94% Protection Against Coronavirus

The company released data from its Phase 3 trial showing that a booster shot triggers a 12-fold increase in antibodies.

A second shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been found to provide 94 percent protection against the virus, providing much more immunity than a single shot alone, the company announced Tuesday. Citing data from its Phase 3 trial, the company said a booster shot administered six months after the first one provides a 12-fold increase in antibodies. “Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases,” Mathai Mammen, global head of Janssen Research & Development, said in a statement detailing the results. A global study previously found the one-dose vaccine to be 66 percent effective in protecting against the virus overall but 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease.