Pharmaceuticals company Johnson & Johnson say that its single shot coronavirus vaccine, which is being developed in Leiden by Janssen Vaccines, offers 66% protection to a variety of forms of Covid.

‘The vaccine candidate is 72% effective in the US and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, 28 days after vaccination,’ the company said on Friday. The protection rate was lower, at 57% in South Africa.

However, the vaccine offered 85% protection against the most serious Covid-19 symptoms and ‘complete protection’ against ‘Covid-related hospitalisation and death, 28 days post-vaccination,’ the company said.

The Netherlands has ordered 11.3 million doses of the Janssen vaccine, which can be kept longer at fridge temperature than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The company said it hopes to file for US approval in early February but did not say when European approval may be sought.

Meanwhile AstraZeneca, which is embroiled in a dispute with the European Union about vaccine deliveries, said on Friday it would do its utmost to meet agreed delivery targets but could not make any promises.

The contract between the EU and the pharmaceuticals company was published on Friday following European anger about the delays.

The Dutch vaccination programme is largely based around the AstraZeneca vaccine, and delays threaten to slow down the already much criticised Dutch system even further.

As expected, the European Medicines Agency gave its approval to the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.