U.S. authorizes J&J's COVID-19 vaccine, making it third available

Vials of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine candidate are seen in an undated photograph. Johnson & Johnson/Handout via REUTERS.

(Reuters) - The U.S. government on Saturday authorized Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, enabling millions more Americans to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and setting the vaccine up for additional approvals around the world.

The J&J vaccine is the third authorized in the United States, following ones from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, both of which require two doses.