A third vaccine may be heading to Connecticut soon.
On Friday, an advisory committee recommended the FDA grant authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The biggest difference between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two others is that the Johnson & Johnson is a single shot.
The way it works and the effectiveness is also slightly different.
“I am very excited that the vaccines are now coming out to my age group and I plan to sign up bright and early on Monday morning,” said Nancy Nunes.
Nancy Nunes says after watching other people get COVID and not being able to socialize with her grandchildren, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a no-brainer.
Soon, three vaccines will be available to her.
“My preference would be one shot,” Nunes said.
That’s the benefit of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It also works
Dr. Jeff Aeschlimann, from the UConn School of Pharmacy, says it takes a common cold virus with genetic material which in turn produces a spiked protein that our immune system reacts to.
With the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine, Dr. Aeschlimann says, “that mRNA is essentially the instructions and the code, and our body will essentially make that protein.”
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is 66 to 72 percent effective, as compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine’s more than 90 percent efficiency.
But, Dr. Aeschlimann says the effectiveness can’t be directly compared due to the timing and distinction of the trials.
“Regardless of which one you have the opportunity to get, you’re going to be getting really strong benefits to prevent yourself from getting the disease,” Dr. Aeschlimann said.
People say when it boils down to it, they will take whatever they can get.
“I want to live a long life, so I will do anything to be proactive,” Nunes said.
Dr. Aeschlimann says a third vaccine in rotation could mean brighter days for Connecticut residents.
“I’m encouraged that we can get to some sort of level of very low numbers of infection throughout the state by the summer or late summer, early fall,” Dr. Aeschlimann said.
The FDA could approve Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine this weekend.
If approved, the first shipments could arrive in Connecticut in early March.
