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- Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing mild and moderate infections, and 85% effective in preventing serious illness, according to trial results announced by the company on Friday.
- It does not appear to be as effective as Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines, although there are big differences in how the injections were tested.
- It also has the advantages of being inexpensive and relatively easy to manufacture and distribute. It only requires a shot to the arm.
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An experimental Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, according to new data from a trial the company released Friday.
At first glance, the vaccine doesn’t appear to be as stellar as the licensed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but it does have some advantages.
First and foremost: J & J’s vaccine is just a shot in the arm, whereas both Pfizer and Moderna are given in 2 doses, several weeks apart. Second, it can be refrigerated for months, making transportation and storage much less of a challenge. Third, it is cheaper and easier to produce.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to create a simple and effective solution for as many people as possible, and have the maximum impact to help end the pandemic,” Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said at a statement when his company’s results were released.
During a call Friday morning at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, highlighted the importance of adding “another platform, another candidate to the mix of our efforts. global against this extraordinary pandemic “.
“This has really important national and global public health implications,” Fauci said of the J&J vaccine, noting that it “is a single shot,” that it does not need to be stored in super cold temperatures and is relatively cheap.
Below are the basics of how these three COVID-19 injections compare, based on what we know so far.
The J&J vaccine information comes from a press release, while the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine data is based on what the companies submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use authorization. of emergency. J&J said it plans to submit its data to the FDA next week to apply for an EUA, which would give the vaccine the green light for use in adults across the United States.
How well vaccines prevent disease:
Modern: 94.1% effective in preventing symptomatic infections, 100% effective in preventing serious infections, after two doses.
Pfizer: 95% effective in preventing symptomatic infections, almost 100% effective in preventing serious infections (only 1 case among more than 18,000 vaccinated people in trials), after two doses.
Johnson & Johnson: 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe infections, 85% effective in preventing severe infections, after a single dose.
Note: A J&J executive said his injection may have shown a lower level of efficacy because it was tested at a time when higher levels of the virus were circulating, including variants that can evade vaccines.
Bruno Cassaro de Andrade, a chemical engineering student, works with a test that separates specific proteins to be applied in the production of vaccines against the coronavirus on March 24, 2020 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Pedro Vilela / Getty Images
How many people tried them:
Modern: The trials included more than 30,000 volunteers in the US.
Pfizer: The trials included more than 43,000 volunteers in six countries: the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, Germany, and South Africa.
Johnson & Johnson: The trials included more than 43,000 volunteers in eight countries: the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa.
About half of the volunteers in each company’s study received real injections and half received sham (placebo) injections to test how well the vaccines work, compared to nothing.
How they work:
Modern: mRNA.
Pfizer: mRNA.
Johnson & Johnson: adenovrius.
How do you take them:
Modern: 2 injections in the arm, 28 days apart.
Pfizer: 2 injections in the arm, 21 days apart.
Johnson & Johnson: 1 shot to the arm.
A Royal Cornwall Hospital nurse prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine in Truro, UK.
Hugh Hastings / Getty Images
How long the protection takes to take effect:
Modern: Some protection against infection begins 10-14 days after the first injection, with full protection achieved two weeks after the second injection.
Pfizer: Some protection against infection begins 10-14 days after the first injection, and full protection is achieved one week after the second injection.
Johnson & Johnson: Some protection against infection begins 14 days after injection, with total protection measured 28 days after injection. However, that protection may improve even more as time passes, as no cases of COVID-19 were reported in patients who had been vaccinated for 49 days or more.
How long hospitals and clinics can store it in the refrigerator
Modern: 30 days.
Pfizer: 5 days.
Johnson & Johnson: 3 months.
“The company can produce, in a reasonable period of time, billions of doses,” added Fauci, suggesting that although this vaccine may not be as potent as the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, it could become a more widespread tool. to help suppress the pandemic.
