RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is getting its first batch of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the coronavirus.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday that 70,000 doses are expected to last through next Friday.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration over the weekend and is the third kind of inoculation to become available in the U.S. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines because it requires only one shot and is much easier to store.
Dr. Danny Avula, who is leading the state’s vaccine distribution effort, said everyone who wants a shot should be able to get one by the end of May. Virginia health officials said they hope to vaccinate about 75% of the state to achieve some form of herd immunity.
Initial results from the trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines found that they had around 95% efficacy. Johnson & Johnson’s is 72% effective in the U.S.
But Avula emphasized that the results are not apples-to-apples comparisons, in part because the trials were held at very different times. He also said that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has proven “exceedingly good” at preventing hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.