It seems it’s only a matter of days before a third COVID-19 vaccine is ready to go. Leading medical experts are expecting good news when it comes to an emergency use authorization by the FDA for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And hospitals across the state are ready.
“I’m very enthusiastic about this Janssen Johnson & Johnson vaccine. I think it’s got a lot of advantages, and it’s really going to increase our ability to vaccinate as many people here in Connecticut as quickly as possible,” said UConn Health Infectious Disease Physician and Hospital Epidemiologist Dr. David Banach.
Banach says they’ve got the systems in place to be able to administer a lot of vaccines, but what’s held them and everyone else back is supply.
On Thursday, the governor wrote the state’s expected to receive 30,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starting next week, pending FDA approval. That would up the state’s total vaccine allocation per week to 130,000. And experts say the faster vaccination happens, the better, especially when it comes to reducing the spread and impact of variants.
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“It puts us in a race. Basically, we’ve got to get as many vaccines into people’s arms as quickly as we can before these variants really start to become a bigger issue,” said Banach.
And state leaders are warning against people “shopping” for a specific vaccine.
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“Don’t get fussy with what brand you got. They are all incredibly effective, much more effective than we had anticipated. I think that’s important, no brand shopping,” said Governor Ned Lamont at a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
Health experts say once you become eligible to get one, take advantage of it and get the vaccine that’s available to you.
“I think the key message is when it comes to preventing hospitalizations and severe illness, all the vaccines performed very well,” said Banach
