J&J’s Single-dose Coronavirus Vaccine Could Change Everything

According to a physician, Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine is a game changer.

It is “absolutely” a game changer and will help ensure Americans are vaccinated at a faster pace, says Dr. Sejal Hathi, physician and clinical fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“We should all be encouraged that we now have three excellent vaccines available to administer to Americans all across this country,” Hathi said. “I expect we’ll be moving a lot faster with J&J on board.”

It was on Monday that JNJ began shipping its COVID-19 vaccine and is working to quickly scale up supply.

Rival drugmaker Merck has also decided to assist Johnson & Johnson in ramp up production, according to reports citing a Biden administration official.

Four million doses are expected to be distributed across the U.S. this week, followed by 100 million doses by June, and a billion worldwide by the end of the year.

“At the current rate of 1.7 million doses a day, it would still take until approximately Thanksgiving for us to achieve herd immunity, which is the level of immunity we need to stop transmission,” Hathi said. “But with Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine approved, things are really looking up.”

Hathi believes the key to getting more people vaccinated in a timely manner will be convincing Americans that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is not an inferior option.

Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine is 72% in preventing moderate-to-severe COVID-19 in the U.S., while Pfizer and Moderna’s efficacy rates are 95% and 94%, respectively, in preventing symptomatic disease.

“The reality is that the most crucial measure that we must constantly look at is hospitalizations and deaths. On that front, the J&J vaccine measures up to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines,” Hathi said. “All three vaccines are excellent. All three I would recommend to my family, my friends and my patients.”

“I think it’s incredible news for all of us… There are many advantages to a single-shot vaccine that can be stored in much warmer temperatures,” she added.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.