Fauci says Johnson & Johnson vaccine is useful in combating COVID-19, despite lower efficacy

Fauci says Johnson & Johnson vaccine is useful in combating COVID-19, despite lower efficacy

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Anthony FauciAnthony Fauci COVID-19 cases drop, but variants indicate dangers ahead First US cases of South African virus variants reported in South Carolina, Fauci warns that the COVID-19 situation ‘could possibly get worse’ given new variant MORE, the government’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said Johnson & Johnson’s new COVID-19 vaccine is good news in the fight against the coronavirus, although it has lower effectiveness than other shots already in circulation.

“It’s actually good news. “It adds value to the whole effort to get more vaccine candidates into the mix,” Fauci told NBC News on Friday night.

The remarks come after Johnson & Johnson announced that the vaccine is 66 percent effective at preventing moderate or severe illness, a level of protection above the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) minimum, but lower than the authorized Pfizer and Modern vaccines, which are approximately effective. 95 percent of the time.

The effectiveness of the shot was 72 percent in the United States, but dropped to 57 to 57 percent, where a new coronavirus variant is booming.

‘Although the results showed 72 percent in the United States, it was a study that involved not only the United States but also South Africa and Brazil. The important point is that the protection against serious diseases was very high, even in South Africa, where the mutant is dominant, ”Fauci said.

“Although the numbers are 72% compared to 94-95 with a mild to moderate illness, 94-95 is therefore better,” he continues. ‘But from a practical point of view, from what you want to do to keep people out of the hospital and prevent death, it’s a value addition. ”

Although the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is lower than that of its competitors, the company emphasized that the shot is 85 percent effective in preventing serious diseases and that it is 100 percent effective in preventing hospitalization or death 28 days after vaccination.

‘One of the most important things you want to do is keep people out of the hospital. If you can also protect them from any symptoms, it will be good, ‘Fauci said. “It is not very good against the early disease, but against the serious consequences it has been done very well.”

Still, Johnson and Johnson may be struggling with what Fauci said could be a ‘message issue’, as efficiency lags behind Pfizer and Moderna. And even if it is a single dose instead of two doses, people may be reluctant to take it.

“There could very well be people who prefer to have one dose,” Fauci said. “So I think it’s going to be helpful, though … there are people who would say, ‘I want the one that works best numerically. ‘It’s going to happen, and it’s going to be a messaging problem. ”

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