Since the global breakout of the COVID-19 virus, the world started looking for solutions to stop the spread of the pandemic. The most obvious solution seemed to be a vaccine that would prevent the virus from attacking individuals. Everyone waited patiently for a resolution to the brutal pandemic through months of trial and error in vaccination development. Towards the end of 2020, the biotech company Moderna Therapeutical developed a vaccine that proved 95 percent effective in protecting against the coronavirus. These vaccines were then approved by the FDA and soon shipped out. Almost simultaneously, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer came out with a vaccine and enrolled in a similar distribution process after being FDA approved. Both these vaccines share similarities in that they require two doses within a two-week time frame. Many have been waiting patiently for their time to receive this vaccine if they have not already received it.
In February, the medical device company Johnson & Johnson came out with its own vaccine. On Feb. 27, the FDA approved the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for emergency use and to be distributed to several parts of the nation. In the past week, Johnson & Johnson has already shipped out approximately 4 million doses of their vaccines to pharmacies and urgent care clinics around the United States. Research has also recently revealed data indicating that this vaccine has a lower effectiveness rate in protecting individuals against the virus, but that’s not stopping the public from being hopeful of getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This vaccine, unlike the other two, is a single dose shot that does not require a follow-up shot in two weeks. This has created a collective eagerness among people to get this vaccine because of its convenience. Furthermore, public health officials have stated their enthusiasm about how much faster the public could potentially receive this single-dose vaccine compared to the other two vaccination methods. The distribution of this vaccine could also be more efficiently distributed to vulnerable communities that would otherwise have a more difficult time obtaining the vaccine.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine not only differs from Moderna’s and Pfziers in its convenience but also in its longevity of storage. The single-dose vaccine is able to be stored in a refrigerator for up to three months, which is a drastic difference compared to the first two vaccines that must be stored in very low temperatures. This availability of transportation and convenience of a one-and-done dose has given individuals and communities around the country a more profound sense of hope and confidence that the pandemic may well be on its way to becoming controlled in the foreseeable future. The predicted rollout of the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is said to move at a quicker and more efficient rate compared to that of the first two vaccines. Moreover, the J&J vaccine will particularly be more effective in distributing to hard-to-reach communities that might have had to wait longer for a cleared-up two-week period to receive a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. People such as homeless people or those living in remote areas have a greater likelihood of receiving this single-dose vaccine, which collectively helps the whole vaccination process in getting more people vaccinated at a quicker rate.
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