- Johnson & Johnson have announced their application with the FDA to obtain EUA for the COVID-19 vaccine.
- While this would help vaccinate the population more quickly, there are concerns that the company’s vaccine is not as effective as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
- Experts say there may not be a choice of which vaccine to choose so that a vaccine product can meet the needs of a population.
- However, more effective vaccines will be available later.
- Experts confirm that all three vaccines are safe and will help control the pandemic.
Johnson & Johnson announced on Feb. 4 that it had applied with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use approval (EUA) for the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
The company said it would be able to give the vaccine to the U.S. government immediately after FDA approval.
Also, it is expected to be able to deliver 100 million doses in the first half of 2021.
However, one potential benefit of the new vaccine is that it may be as effective as the other two vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, which have EUA.
While it would make it easier to vaccinate more people quickly, there are established questions on whether Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients would be able to get a more effective vaccine at a later date.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine works similarly to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines – it causes cells to secrete the “spike” protein of the coronavirus, said Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, president the Houston Methodist Academic Institute,
However, it does this in a slightly different way.
Instead of using messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) to deliver the lead, it uses a DNA-building machine that secretes the RNA in human cells, Sostman explained.
Also, instead of using an artificial lipid nanoparticle as a carrier like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, it uses adenovirus as a carrier.
Although adenoviruses are a common cause of infections – such as the common cold – they are inactivated by the vaccine and cannot cause illness, explained Dr Niraj Patel, who chairs the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Vaccine Action Group COVID-19.
Thus, while Johnson & Johnson is a bit more complex in how it delivers its payload, it achieves the same goal: safely stimulates an immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein .
Patel noted that in the phase 3 trial of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which involved 40,000 participants, the vaccine was 66 percent effective in preventing moderate COVID-19 infection. badly.
Further, it was 85 percent effective in preventing serious disease.
“While this may seem bleak compared to the Pfizer and Moderna, which reported an efficacy of around 95 per cent in preventing moderate to severe disease, the effectiveness of vaccines is increasing. average flu is around 60 percent, ”Patel said,“ and it prevents many illnesses and hospitals each year. “
He said, “Any vaccine that reduces the burden of a major disease as a result of COVID-19, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is going to help fight the pandemic. ”
Also, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has the advantage of being a one – dose vaccine, he said.
Both Pfizer and Moderna require two injections.
Patel said that while it is possible for people to start wanting a specific vaccine based on efficacy data, it is very likely that there will be a real option to get that.
“At the moment, it is expected that a limited supply of vaccine will be available so that production can meet overall demand,” he said.
Because of this, people may be able to get whatever vaccine is available at that time.
In the future, variables such as whether it is difficult for a person to take the second dose or temperature requirements for vaccine storage may affect the vaccine that a person may receive.
Sostman said yes, it will be possible to have a different type of vaccine at a later date.
“Getting one type of COVID-19 vaccine is not dangerous or ineffective at a later date,” he explained.
However, if they get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for the first two shots, people should stay with the same vaccine. It is not known whether the effectiveness is the same with a mixed series.
“As far as boosters are concerned in the future, as the vaccine updates will be based on the standard vaccines, it may make sense to stay with the one you started with, but this is unlikely to be as necessary. , ”He said.
Sostman said it is not known what boosters will be like in the future, but they may need to be updated every year, similar to flu vaccines.
Both experts confirmed that the vaccines are safe, and despite what is often reported in the media, there is a very severe allergic reaction.
5 per million may have a severe allergic reaction, Sostman said.
People with a history of severe allergies should tell their vaccine provider and talk to an allergist before getting the vaccine.
No other serious complications have been reported in connection with the vaccines, he said. The most common side effects include local reactions, such as sore arm, swelling, fatigue and headaches.
The side effects usually last one to two days and can be controlled with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin).
When compared to the real risks associated with COVID-19, these risks are small.
There is a 10 percent risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19, Sostman explained.
Also, if you are in hospital, there is a 10 percent risk of death.
There are also serious risks of long-term problems such as breast fatigue, “brain fog,” or heart problems.
“Keep in mind that more than 440,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.,” Sostman said. “Don’t add this whole amount. Get vaccinated as soon as you can. ”