- Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but not to choose the brand they will receive.
- An FDA advisory committee is expected to vote the green light for a coronavirus vaccine by Johnson & Johnson on Friday.
- “People should be vaccinated … When a vaccine is available, get it,” said Fauci on NBC News.
- Visit the Insider Business section for more stories.
The leading infectious disease specialist in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, asked Americans to receive a coronavirus vaccine and not to hand-pick the brand they would receive.
New data from the Food and Drug Administration showed that the single-dose coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson was safe and effective, which could dramatically accelerate the vaccine’s delivery schedule in the United States.
An advisory committee is expected to vote the green light for the J&J vaccine for distribution on Friday, allowing it to join the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines at launch in the U.S. If the vaccine is approved, the United States may end vaccination of priority groups in March, said Aria Bendix of Insider.
In an interview with NBC’s “TODAY” program, Fauci expressed optimism about a possible third vaccine being administered to Americans.
“Having two is fine; having three is absolutely better,” said Fauci during the “TODAY” segment. “It is better because there are more options. It is better because it increases the supply of vaccines ”.
The J&J injection is just a single dose, compared to the Moderna and Pfizer two-dose vaccines, which are usually given every three to four weeks. Federal data show that the most recent vaccine was 66% effective in preventing severe cases of COVID-19, while the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine were 94% and 95% effective, respectively.
However, “it’s almost as good at preventing hospitalizations and deaths,” reported Hilary Brueck of Insider.
The infectious disease specialist urged Americans to get vaccinated as soon as it is available to them, regardless of brand.
“This is a race between the virus and the introduction of vaccines in people,” said Fauci. “The longer someone waits to be vaccinated, the greater the chance that the virus will acquire a variant or mutation.”
“So the sooner we put the vaccine in the arms of individuals, whatever it may be, once they reach the FDA, if it’s available to you, get it,” said Fauci