J&J vaccines on the way
A few at first, then more expected in state
Thousands of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines will likely arrive in Massachusetts as early as next week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced.
“The introduction of this vaccine over time will certainly dramatically boost our vaccination efforts here,” Baker said, speaking at the Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan on Monday.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Saturday became the third vaccine candidate to earn emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Details on exactly when and how much vaccine will arrive in Massachusetts are still limited, but Baker said the number is “definitely in the thousands” and will increase as the company ramps up production.
Those doses are expected to come on top of the 139,000 Moderna and Pfizer doses the state receives weekly from the federal government.
Authorization of the single
dose Johnson & Johnson shot marks a major turning point in the efforts to fight COVID-19.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already in distribution, this latest vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage and requires just one dose instead of two.
“We’re probably going to send them to a lot of places. The big question comes down to how much of either one do we have,” Baker said. “I fully expect you’ll end up seeing them distributed pretty broadly across all of our locations.”
Baker addressed concerns over vaccine equity raised over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is 66% effective compared to 95% effectiveness against moderate and severe infection provided by the other vaccines. The Republican governor said he wants to “emphasize” com
ments made by Dr. Anthony Fauci over the weekend, “which is these are all completely effective
against hospitalization.”
“All the vaccines are effective. All of the vaccines work. Take whichever one
you have an opportunity to take when you’re eligible and it’s your turn,” Baker said.