Along with being a single-shot vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is easier to store and transport, as it doesn’t require the special refrigeration that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require.
“It could be a game changer in the U.S. It’s such a flexible vaccine,” Will Humble, the executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association and former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told Arizona TV station KOLD.
Fauci also sees a one-shot vaccine as a potential “game changer,” telling the New York Press Club on January 29 that there are logistical challenges to getting people to return for their second shot. With more than one vaccine, Fauci said, officials can deploy vaccines in situations where they’ll have the most effectiveness.
The FDA’s own analysis of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine found it to be safe, and its efficacy against moderate to severe disease was 66 percent at least 28 days after vaccination. The analysis also indicated that the vaccine was more effective against a concerning variant, first identified in South Africa, than the company’s initial data showed.
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