The launch of the Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) The COVID-19 vaccine hit a couple of holes this week when the Mayor of Detroit said the city was still Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Modern (NASDAQ: MRNA) vaccines for now, highlighting Johnson & Johnson’s lower efficacy rate, before stepping back in its comments.
And the country’s Catholic bishops questioned the morality of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it was created from cell lines derived from an aborted human fetus.
Thank you, but no thanks: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan refused to accept 6,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week and said the new vaccine has lower efficacy rates than Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Modern (NASDAQ: MRNA) vaccines.
“The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are 95% effective if you get two injections,” said Duggan during a news conference on Tuesday. “Johnson & Johnson is a shot, which is better, but it is about 67% effective.”
Duggan’s spokesman, John Roach, issued a follow-up statement the following day saying the city had enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to cover all scheduled vaccination appointments for next week, according to Detroit Free Press coverage.
Roach added that the city would accept Johnson & Johnson vaccines “in the next round”, but would set up separate Johnson & Johnson vaccination sites and alert residents to options between vaccines.
Duggan’s rejection of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was apprehended on Friday by Andy Slavitt, the senior White House adviser for the COVID-19 response.
During a press conference, Slavin suggested that Duggan’s comments that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was inferior to other vaccines were a “misunderstanding” and he was not denigrating the vaccine.
“We have been in constant dialogue with Mayor Duggan, who said that, in fact, that is not what he said and / or, however, was reported,” said Slavin. “In fact, he is very much looking forward to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And I think we would reiterate the message that, for all of us, the first vaccine we have the opportunity to get makes perfect sense. “
A question of morality? Separately, the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a statement expressing concern about how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was created.
“The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines raised concerns that an abortion-derived cell line was used to test them, but not in their production,” the bishops said in a press release.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and produced with abortion-derived cell lines, raising additional moral issues.”
The bishops added that while “it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process,” they recommend that Catholic believers consider which vaccine to accept.
“However, if one can choose between equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen,” the statement said. “So if someone has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should be chosen instead of Johnson & Johnson.”
Several Roman Catholic dioceses across the country – including the dioceses of Knoxville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Syracuse – have also asked the faithful to choose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Vatican did not issue a statement related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and Pope Francis, who was vaccinated in January, told an Italian news station in January that being vaccinated against COVID-19 was “an ethical action, because you are playing with your health, you are playing with your life, but you are also playing with other people’s lives. “
JNJ Price Action: Johnson & Johnson shares ended Friday’s session 1.98% higher at $ 156.10.
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