PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is on the brink of emergency use approval. Scientists and people eligible to get a shot are looking at the vaccine and its data.
"You get a vaccine the first chance you get. That's point number one," said Dr. Ross Kedl, a Professor of Immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who studies different vaccines.
His second point relates to Johnson and Johnson's efficacy rate.
"Whatever efficacy rate it has, which is extremely good, I think people are getting hung up on the 66% which is the overall rate," explained Dr. Kedl.
Comparing it to Moderna and Pfizer's approximate 95% efficacy isn't fair, according to the researcher. He believes what matters most is the vaccine's ability to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
"It's 100 percent at keeping you out of the hospital, no matter who you are," stated Kedl.
During the J&J vaccine trial, no participant had a severe enough COVID-19 case requiring hospitalization or a ventilator, and nobody died.
"The way in which they [the vaccines] are manufactured are different and their shelf lives are different as a result," stated Dr. Kedl.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made using messenger RNA or mRNA which creates a spike protein.
"MRNA have to be frozen. Once they are thawed, they have a fairly short life before they have to be thrown out," explained the doctor.
Dr. Kedl says that's an advantage for Johnson and Johnson.
"You can deliver it to more remote areas," he said.
It's also only a single shot vaccine.
"Nobody likes to come back for a second shot," explained Dr. Kedl. "It's one of the hardest things physicians get when it comes to vaccines."
Now, let's talk about its side effects.
"I was actually enrolled in the Moderna vaccine trial," stated Dr. Kedl. "The side effect profile of the J&J profile is considerably less."
That may make it valuable to a younger population.
"I think what's going to be the case it's going to be seen as ideal for kids. Because of the lower side effect profile, no mom or dad wants little Johnny to get fever or achy after whatever shot they get," said the doctor.
Right now, there is no definitive timeline on when people in the Commonwealth will have access to the J&J vaccine.
"We are awaiting guidance from the FDA and CDC as this vaccine nears its emergency authorization," said Lindsey Mauldin, a special assistant to PA's Secretary of Health. "No allocation decisions will be finalized until after that authorization is granted. Once that is or if it is, we will be working with the legislative task force to make determinations on allocations.
That could happen as early as next week.