(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — A new vaccine may soon become available to Americans, this time from Johnson & Johnson.  With over 26.6 million Americans infected with COVID-19 and more than 455,000 of them dead — according to Johns Hopkins University — the race is on to vaccinate as many people before the virus further mutates and complicates containment efforts.

Johnson & Johnson, touting a vaccine that is 100 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, submitted its emergency use application to the Food and Drug Administration.  

Johnson & Johnson’s is 66 percent effective at preventing symptomatic disease and 85 percent effective against severe illness, while Pfizer and Moderna’s numbers are closer to 95 percent.

However, this vaccine is single-use and does not require to be delivered in two separate doses.  Also, storage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is does not require refrigeration at sub-zero temperatures.

The company promises to ship out 100 million doses after the FDA grants the emergency authorization.

Dr. Paul Stoffels, vice chairman of the executive committee and chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, told ABC News, “Today’s submission for emergency use authorization of our investigational single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is a pivotal step toward reducing the burden of disease for people globally and putting an end to the pandemic.”

Adds Stoffels, Johnson & Johnson is “working with great urgency to make our investigational vaccine available to the public as quickly as possible.