UPDATE 1-J&J's COVID-19 shot gets CDC panel backing; vaccine near shipping

(Adds vote)

By Carl O'Donnell

Feb 28 (Reuters) - A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted on Sunday to recommend Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 shot for widespread use, a final clearance for the vaccine after it was authorized by U.S. regulators on Saturday.

State and local public health authorities will use Food and Drug Administration and CDC guidance as they administer the first 4 million doses. The federal government, through distribution partner McKesson Corp , plans to ship the first shots Sunday night or Monday morning

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has played a major role in guiding states on how to allocate scarce doses, though states themselves have the final say in how they allocate shots.

One of the panelists noted during a presentation on Sunday that there are not yet any studies comparing J&J's vaccine directly to the other approved vaccines from Pfzier-BioNTech

and Moderna Inc but that all vaccines were highly effective at reducing hospitalizations and deaths.

The panelist also said there was insufficient data to know if the vaccines' safety or efficacy could be compromised by pre-existing conditions that compromise a person's immune systems.

The CDC's director is expected to approve the recommendations by the panel.

J&J's shot will be the only one-dose COVID vaccine available in the United States. It is also the easiest to ship and store, as it can be kept in a refrigerator rather than a freezer.

J&J expects to ship more than 20 million doses by March and 100 million by mid-year, enough to vaccinate nearly a third of Americans.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC-COVID-19 global tracker GRAPHIC-Where coronavirus cases are rising and falling in the United States Fauci urges Americans to get any of the three COVID-19 vaccines available U.S. authorizes J&J's COVID-19 vaccine, making it third available EXPLAINER-What J&J's authorized COVID-19 shot means for the U.S.

vaccination campaign FACTBOX-Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine authorized in U.S.

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(Reporting by Carl O'Donnell; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

((Carl.ODonnell@thomsonreuters.com; 646-223-6629;))