World Coronavirus Dispatch: Risk of getting Covid from surfaces overblown

US FDA clears Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Indonesia allows companies to buy shots for staff, Ireland's anti-lockdown protesters clash with police and other pandemic-related news across the globe

US drug regulator clears Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine

The US drug regulator (FDA) approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine against coronavirus for emergency use, making it the third shot for the country as it races against time to vaccinate as many people as possible. In clinical trials across the world, J&J's vaccine showed showed 85 per cent efficacy against severe forms of Covid-19 and 100 per cent efficacy against hospitalisation and death. The company said it would provide the United States with 100 million doses by the end of June. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: