The FDA met Friday to review J&J’s request for emergency use authorization. Approvals occurred shortly after similar requests by Pfizer and Moderna. After J&J submitted its vaccine study data to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month, the FDA staff said it determined that the clinical trial results and safety data were “consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA’s guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19.” The vaccine’s level of protection varied by region, J&J said, with the shot demonstrating 66% effectiveness overall, 72% in the United States, 66% in Latin America, and 57% in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant is rapidly spreading. However, the FDA staff documents showed the vaccine was 64% effective in South Africa after about a month. The company said the vaccine prevented 100% of hospitalizations and deaths.