Hunter Oberst
News Editor
Johnson & Johnson’s new COVID vaccine is reportedly 85% effective against COVID-19; authorities are urging people to take whatever vaccine they can get.
According to the CDC website, the JNJ-78436735 COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals Companies of Johnson & Johnson is recommended for those 18 and older. The reported side effects of the vaccine are pain, redness and swelling of the upper arm where the vaccine is administered. Additional common side effects include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.
The CDC reported that side effects for the vaccine were common within seven days to getting vaccinated and side effects were most common for those aged 18-59 rather than those 60 and older.
Johnson & Johnson said the “data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studied, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination.”
The CDC however reported the vaccine was 63% effective in clinical trials at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who had no evidence of prior infection two weeks after receiving the vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson’s new vaccine will be joining the lineup of COVID-19 vaccines along the likes of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Those two vaccines are two doses. Johnson & Johsnon’s new vaccine is a single dose. The Moderna vaccine, with two doses scheduled four weeks apart, was reportedly 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness. The Pfizer vaccine, with two doses scheduled three weeks apart, was reportedly 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness, according to the CDC.
Despite Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine being less effective than the other two, The LA Times reported that authorities are urging people to take whichever vaccine they can get. According to the LA Times, authorities are worried people will decline the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in favor of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
President Biden has announced his plans to purchase an additional 100 million Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine doses to give the U.S. enough supply to vaccinate the population, according to NBC News.
Hunter Oberst can be contacted at:
news@kscequinox.com
