RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Health said a new single-dose COVID-19 vaccine will begin being offered in Virginia next week following federal approval of a third vaccination that has been proven to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from the disease.

On Saturday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for a new vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson. The EUA allows the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for those 18 and older.

Virginia is expected to receive 69,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week, which will be prioritized for mass vaccination clinics across the state. An additional allotment is expected to be sent to pharmacies participating in a federal partnership to help vaccinate priority groups, such as those 65 and older, at no cost.

VDH encourages all providers who schedule vaccine appointments to advise individuals which vaccine they will receive, because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine differs from those available from Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna in that it requires only one dose, rather than two. All three vaccines have been proven to be effective at preventing COVID-19-related hospitalization and death.

For more information about COVID-19 in Virginia, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus.