The first Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses could reach vaccination sites as early as Tuesday, White House officials said on Sunday.
About 3.9 million doses have been shipped, and 16 million more will be sent out by the end of March. With Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine receiving authorization for emergency use on Saturday, the United States now has three vaccine options, with all of them safe and effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, a senior administration official told USA Today.
In the U.S. clinical trial, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine had a 72 percent efficacy rate, and was almost 100 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. "Having different types of vaccines available for use, especially ones with different dosing recommendations and storage and handling requirements, can offer more options and flexibility for the public, jurisdictions, and vaccine providers," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "Getting vaccinated with the first vaccine available to you will help protect all of us from COVID-19."