FactChec.org – “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Here, we give a rundown of basic facts about the vaccine and an overview of how it works.  More than two months after its last COVID-19 vaccine authorization, the FDA authorized for emergency use a one-shot vaccine from Janssen Biotech Inc., a Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, on Feb. 27. Unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which use an mRNA design, the Johnson & Johnson shot uses a harmless adenovirus — a type of virus that typically causes the common cold — modified with the genetic material for SARS-CoV-2 to trigger an immune response. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has the advantages of being one shot, not two, and being stored at regular refrigeration temperatures for up to three months. The Pfizer and Moderna two-shot vaccines can only be kept at refrigerator temperatures for five or 30 days, respectively. Johnson & Johnson submitted its request for emergency use authorization on Feb. 4. An external panel advising the FDA met on Feb. 26, and voted unanimously (22 to 0) that “based on the totality of scientific evidence available … the benefits of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine outweigh its risks for use in individuals 18 years of age and older.” The FDA then authorized the vaccine for emergency use the following day…” [h/t Pete Weiss – this is an extensive report on how the vaccine works, its development, safety, and efficacy.]