Johnson & Johnson Set To Ship Out Doses Of Newly Authorized COVID-19 Vaccine
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A new milestone mark in the race to vaccinate is expected to happen today.
Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine is ready to roll out and could begin shipping as early as Monday morning.
On Sunday, the CDC gave the go-ahead for use in the United States, so now comes the question -- who will be the first to receive the newest tool to battle the COVID-19 pandemic?
Doctors say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game changer, because it's one shot and done. Currently, both other vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer require two doses.
Another big difference with Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is that it doesn't require special storage.
Johnson & Johnson has almost 4 million doses ready to go.
The federal government may begin sending them out as soon as today.
Health experts have approved the vaccine for anyone 18 years of age and older.
Vaccine trials show Johnson & Johnson's vaccine to be 85% effective and it's been studied against new strands of the virus.
The hope is this new vaccine will get more shots in more arms.
"This is going to increase immediately, somewhere between 70% to 80% of our ability to deliver new shots to people every week. It's a big, big deal," said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Professor of Medicine from The George Washington University Medical Center.
"This new vaccine is done by putting the gene for the spike protein inside of virus that causes the common cold, so it's a weakened virus that causes the common cold. so it can cause the common cold, but it delivers the instructions to make the spike protein," said Dr. Lee Harrison, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
Doctors are trying to address comparing the vaccines, as there is a fear some people may think this is a second class vaccine.
Health experts say when you look at vaccines, you want to see if it prevents hospitalizations and deaths, which this new vaccine does.
It's unclear when the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could be distributed to the Pittsburgh area.
