The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will keep people alive and out of the hospital, protecting them from severe symptoms of COVID-19. Requires only one shot. It achieved impressive efficacy rates in a study with variants of the coronavirus against which previous vaccines have not yet been fully examined.
And yet, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, two weeks after its emergency approval and as it begins to be deployed in the United States, has been labeled by some as the second category for its two older brothers, Moderna and Pfizer. One city initially declined doses, and even in the bay area health officials say they heard qualified people hesitate about the third choice.
Local and state health officials spent Thursday on a Johnson & Johnson vaccine public relations tour, trying to allay these concerns or fears. They shared the hashtag #oneanddone. And at the Oakland Coliseum, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris – California’s general surgeon, who is black – had an injection of Johnson & Johnson in her left arm.
“I will tell you, after working with my colleagues in the state behind the scenes to fight this pandemic last year – and the thing that came to mind when the vaccine entered my arm was to hug my mother again,” she said. . “I think it is something that many Californians have not had since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Number of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses sent to Bay Area counties so far:
Against Costa: 4,000 received (1,000 administered)
Marin: 1,000 received (100 administered)
Napa: 300 received
San Francisco: 4,800 received (346 administered)
San Mateo: 3,200 received
Saint Clara: 7,500 received
Sonoma: 1,700 received
Alameda and Solano municipalities did not immediately respond to requests for information.
In fact, his mother, who was ill and trapped in a hospital bed, also got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.
“We looked at science and research, and this vaccine is so good that it is good enough for my mother,” said Harris. “When we think of that light at the end of the tunnel, it will require that we all be vaccinated.”
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – both require two injections – are both about 95% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, including mild to severe illnesses. Johnson & Johnson, which needs only one injection, prevents about 85% of serious illnesses. People achieve full immunity more quickly with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – about four weeks after the injection, compared with 10 days to two weeks after the second injection for the other two.
All three vaccines are about 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death, which Dr. Philip Grant, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford Health Care who led the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial, said was more important.
“For me, it’s a no-brainer,” said Grant. “Get the vaccine to get back to a normal life.”
Counties across California received their first large batches of doses from Johnson & Johnson this week and were already placing them for use in major vaccination sites, as well as mobile units and other clinics designed to serve hard-to-reach populations. The vaccine, in addition to requiring only one dose, is also easier to circulate than the others, which require refrigerated storage.
In Marin County, the public health department received 1,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson earlier this week and has administered 100 injections so far, said Dr. Matt Willis, the health officer. The remaining doses will be taken to mobile clinics scheduled to visit qualified nursing facilities in search of new residents or those who escaped through the cracks during previous vaccination events.
“For the mobile effort, it is really useful as a feat and done,” said Willis. “A dose is also good for people who do not want to go through this experience twice, maybe they are afraid of needles or it is difficult to get to the appointments.”
He was not concerned about Johnson & Johnson’s choice.
“The best vaccine for you is the one currently available,” said Willis. The faster the shots go to the guns, the sooner the herd’s immunity can be achieved, he said.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health has received 4,800 doses of Johnson & Johnson and nearly 350 people have received injections so far. About 1,500 San Francisco teachers began receiving these photos on Thursday, in a three-day effort at district offices.
Contra Costa County public health received 4,000 doses this week and put 1,000 on weapons, said health officer Dr. Chris Farnitano. Many were sent to hospitals to vaccinate elderly patients at discharge or used in mobile units.
He said the municipality receives people requesting certain vaccines, but there is not enough supply to offer options. The county allowed people to reschedule in hopes of getting a different vaccine, but without guarantees, he said.
“Compared to other things for which we offer vaccines, these are some of the most effective in treating infectious diseases,” he said.
Napa County received 300 doses on Tuesday, which authorities sent to private partners to disperse, spokeswoman Janet Upton said.
“What I’m hearing is, anecdotally, that the single factor is an advantage,” she said.
In San Mateo County, public health officials received 3,200 doses. They plan to spend them at a clinic on Saturdays and are exploring other options. Simpler storage and handling requirements provide more flexibility, said Anand Chabra, head of the vaccination sector at COVID-19.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine had some initial public relations stunts, with the mayor of Detroit refusing 6,200 doses, saying he preferred vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. He quickly went back in the comments and accepted the shipments, but it helped fuel concerns that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine recipients may be less protected than others.
No Bay Area county has expressed any concerns.
“Not at all,” said Farnitano. “All vaccines are great and we want as much of all the flavors that we can get our hands on.”
Another hiccup for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was criticism from religious groups, including the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
“The latest vaccine from Johnson & Johnson … is more morally compromised because stem cells from a strain derived from an aborted fetus were used in their manufacture, not just in tests,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in a statement in March beggining. He said there was still no problem with getting the vaccine, but advised to take Moderna and Pfizer instead of Johnson & Johnson, if he had the option.
Matthias Gafni and Meghan Bobrowsky are editors of the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @mgafni, @MeghanBobrowsky