evidence: Both Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Novavax announce positive results of phase 3 trials demonstrating the efficacy of each company’s respective COVID-19 vaccine. The 1-shot vaccine by J&J is 72% effective in the United States and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. The 2-shot Novavax vaccine had 89% efficacy in a United Kingdom trial. Notably, the efficacy of both vaccines is lessened against the highly transmissible B.1.351 variant from South Africa. [...] An FDA advisory panel unanimously votes to move the J&J COVID-19 vaccine forward, bringing it 1 step closer to an EUA. Phase 3 trial data shows the vaccine to be effective against common COVID-19 strains and emerging variants in the United States and South Africa. [...] Production of the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine is slated to begin within weeks, as the candidate’s efficacy will be assessed in a trial of over 35,000 adult volunteers in the United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Should the trial yield positive results, regulators could approve the vaccine for use in the last 3 months of 2021.