Health experts may be weeks away from reviewing new data on two additional COVID-19 vaccines. That’s what Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts, told reporters this week, referring to both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
So what’s the difference between these two and the two already being distributed?
North Dakota’s Chief Health Strategist Dr. Joshua Wynne says the differences in the make-up of the vaccines are very technical and not something to worry about. He says what we need to watch is the safety and effectiveness compared to the Moderna and Pfizer shots, both near 95%. This is something still being studied.
One advantage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it only requires one dose.
“It doubles our ability to get people vaccinated,” Dr. Wynne added.
“Even if you have a vaccine that is 75% effective, if we could get 100% of the population of the United States with a vaccine that has 75% efficacy, the pandemic stops.”
He says because of their make-up, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be more prone to allergic reactions but it’s extremely rare, and the risk of getting COVID-19 is much higher.
Dr. Wynne adds, he will get whichever vaccine is available to him first and encourages others to do the same.
