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John Bacon
| USA TODAY
The J&J COVID vaccine has some notable differences from other vaccines
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is about to be released to the public and there are some major changes you should be aware of.
Team video, USA TODAY
Pfizer-BioNTech will begin testing a booster shot to combat variants of the COVID-19, the companies announced on Thursday.
The announcement came a day after new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine cut symptomatic cases of COVID-19 in all age groups by 94%.
Now, the collaboration of two companies has asked 144 volunteers who participated in the initial phase of their clinical vaccine trials last year to volunteer to receive the booster, a third injection of the same vaccine designed to see if it will help them fight new ones. , more infectious variants that have been circulating in recent months.
Pfizer-BioNTech also wants to study a different vaccine that would specifically target variant B.1.351, originally seen in South Africa. The US Food and Drug Administration would have to approve any changes to the vaccine or its application.
The news follows the announcement by Moderna, the other company that makes one of the two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, which is starting a clinical trial of a new vaccine designed to combat variant B.1.351. Other vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, also said they are developing alternative versions of their vaccines to deal with possible variants.
It is not yet clear whether a new vaccine or booster will be needed to deal with known variants. But companies want to be prepared if studies show that a new vaccine is needed.
“Although we have seen no evidence that circulating variants result in the loss of protection provided by our vaccine, we are taking several steps to act decisively and be ready if a strain becomes resistant to the protection provided by the vaccine,” said Albert. Bourla, president and CEO of Pfizer, said in a prepared statement.
– Karen Weintraub
Also in the news:
► Country music star Trisha Yearwood is “in the greatest care” at home after contracting the virus, her husband, Garth Brooks, said in a statement. The press release says that Yearwood is dealing with unspecified symptoms, but “is doing well so far”.
►About a quarter of the 1 million students in the nation’s largest school district will be back in class on Thursday, as New York City reopens public high schools. The move will provide classroom learning for another 62,000 students whose parents chose not to study at a distance.
► President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to honor 50 million COVID-19 vaccines during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday afternoon.
►The Governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy, tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms, his office said on Wednesday. Dunleavy, a 59-year-old Republican, started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday night and was tested on Wednesday morning.
►Over 150,000 Americans have been reported dead from COVID-19 in less than two months this year, shows a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. The US initially registered its 150,000th COVID fatality on July 28, five months after the first reported death in the country and six months after the first reported case.
►Dr. Anthony Fauci says that a new facilitated orientation for people who have been vaccinated should arrive soon from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 28.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 505,800 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 112.5 million cases and 2.49 million deaths. More than 88.6 million doses of vaccine have been distributed in the United States and about 66.4 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
📘 What we’re reading: Surgery for a child, car loan, electricity bills: we asked Americans how they would spend $ 1,400 on stimulus checks. This is what they said.
USA TODAY is following the news from COVID-19. Keep updating this page for the latest updates. Are you at the Clubhouse? If so, tune in to our live discussion at COVID-19 at 7:00 PM EST Thursday.
Less than 14% of the United States population received the vaccine, and preliminary data suggest that people of color are being vaccinated at lower rates than white Americans. Chelsea White, executive director of the Dallas Bethlehem Center, said that historically the community has not trusted the government or outside groups, especially when it comes to health care.
“COVID is bad enough for anyone, but when you have this type of crisis in this neighborhood, it is catastrophic and will affect this neighborhood for years,” said White. “They will over-promise, under-deliver and then leave.”
The Ad Council’s $ 500 million campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccines, launched on Thursday, aimed at 40% of Americans who have not yet decided on vaccination. This will change slowly according to the picture of who is eligible for the vaccine and what doubts they have changing.
“We are dealing with the biggest problems in our lives,” said Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman. “We recognize very quickly that, unless people learn more about the vaccine and are educated, they may not get it. And then we wouldn’t be better off next year than this year. “
The ads, which will appear on TV, radio and the internet, feature images of people holding hands, families on a child’s birthday, people entering church together or friends sharing pizza side by side, a reminder of how things have changed in one year.
The slogan for everyone is “It depends on you”. Not to get vaccinated, but to get information, said Sherman.
– Elizabeth Weise
Detailed information about a Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate for COVID-19 does not raise safety concerns, according to a report released on Wednesday. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee is holding a full-day meeting on Friday to review the data and is likely to approve the vaccine. This could lead to an FDA authorization for the vaccine in the coming days. J&J vice president Richard Nettles said the company will make 20 million doses of the vaccine available by the end of March.
The J&J vaccine differs from the two already authorized in that only one injection is recommended instead of two, and does not need to be stored in a freezer.
The FDA advisory committee, called the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee or VRBPAC, must approve the vaccine because it appears to have met all of the criteria for authorization established by the FDA last year.
– Karen Weintraub
Contributing: The Associated Press