The World Health Organisation has approved the emergency-use listing of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, the U.N. agency said on Friday, broadening access to the shots.

It is the third COVID-19 vaccine after those of Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca to receive backing from the WHO.

The listing covers use in all countries and for the vaccine platform COVAX’s roll-out.

The decision comes on the back of European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorisation announced on Thursday.

"Every new, safe and effective tool against COVID-19 is another step closer to controlling the pandemic," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.