Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciFauci says the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is useful in the fight against COVID-19, despite its lesser effectiveness. Proper use of PCR needed for a focused response to the pandemic Fauci hopes to see vaccinations for children in ‘late spring and early summer’ MORE, the government’s leading infectious disease expert, said Johnson & Johnson’s new COVID-19 vaccine is good news in the fight against the coronavirus, although it is less effective than other vaccines already in circulation.
“This is really good news. It is an added value to any effort to get more vaccine candidates in the mix, ”said Fauci on NBC News on Friday night.
Dr. Anthony Fauci
– NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) January 30, 2021
The comments come after Johnson & Johnson announced that its vaccine is 66 percent effective in preventing moderate or severe illness, a level of protection above the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) minimum, but lower than that of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. which are approximately effective 95 percent of the time.
The injection’s effectiveness was 72 percent in the United States, but dropped to 57 percent in South Africa, where a new variant of the coronavirus is on the rise.
“Although the results showed 72% in the United States, it was a study that involved not only the United States, but also South Africa and Brazil. The important thing is that protection against serious diseases was very high, even in South Africa, where the mutant is dominant, ”said Fauci.
“So while the numbers when you compare mild to moderate illness, 72 percent versus 94-95, clearly 94-95 is better,” he continued. “But from a practical point of view, what do you want to do to maintain people out of the hospital and preventing death, this is an added value. ”
Although the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is less effective than its competitors, the company emphasized that its injection is 85% effective in preventing serious illness and 100% effective in preventing hospitalization or death from 28 days after vaccination.
“One of the important things you want to do is keep people out of the hospital. If you can also protect them from any type of symptom, that would be good, ”said Fauci. “It is not so good against early disease, but against serious consequences, it is done very well.”
Still, Johnson & Johnson could face what Fauci said was a “messaging problem”, given the headline of its effectiveness lagging behind Pfizer and Moderna. And even if it is a single dose instead of requiring two doses, people may be reluctant to take it.
“There may well be people who prefer to take a dose,” said Fauci. “So I think that will be of use, although … there may be some who would say, ‘I want the one that numerically is the best effectiveness.’ It will happen and it will be a messaging problem ”.