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John Bacon
| USA TODAY
J & J’s COVID vaccine has some notable differences from other vaccines
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine is about to be released to the public and there are some major changes you need to know about.
Staff video, TODAY TODAY
The companies announced on Thursday that Pfizer-BioNTech will test a boost shot to combat COVID-19 variants.
The announcement comes one day after new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine symptomatically cut COVID-19 cases in all age groups by 94%.
The collaboration of two companies asked 144 volunteers who participated in the earliest phase of its clinical vaccination trials last year to volunteer again to receive the booster, a third shot of the same vaccine designed to see if it will help fight new more infectious variants that have been circulating in recent months.
Pfizer-BioNTech also wants to study another vaccine specifically targeted at the B.1.351 variant, which was originally seen in South Africa. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have to sign off on any change to the vaccine or its delivery.
The news follows an announcement Wednesday afternoon by Moderna, the other company making one of the two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, that it is launching a clinical trial with a new vaccine designed to target the B.1.351 variant combat. Other vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, have also said they are developing alternative versions of their vaccines to address possible variants.
It is not yet clear if a new vaccine or enhancer is needed to address the known variants. But companies want to be prepared when studies show that a new vaccine is needed.
“Although we have not seen any evidence that the varying variants result in a loss of protection by our vaccine, we are taking several steps to take action and be ready if a strain becomes resistant to the protection afforded by the vaccine. , “Albert said. Bourla, Pfizer’s chairman and CEO, said in a prepared statement.
– Karen Weintraub
Also in the news:
► Country musician Trisha Yearwood is “under the greatest care” at home after contracting the virus, her husband Garth Brooks said in a statement. The press release states that Yearwood is dealing with unspecified symptoms, but that things are going well so far.
► About a quarter of the country’s largest school district’s 1 million students will be back in classrooms on Thursday, while the city of New York will reopen public high schools. The move will teach in the classroom for another 62,000 students whose parents did not opt for distance education.
► President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will honor 50 million COVID-19 vaccine shots during a White House ceremony on Thursday afternoon.
► Mike Dunleavy, governor of Alaska, tested positive for COVID-19 and had mild symptoms, his office said Wednesday. Dunleavy, a 59-year-old Republican, began feeling symptoms Tuesday night and was tested Wednesday morning.
► More than 150,000 Americans have already died from COVID-19 in less than two months this year, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. The U.S. initially recorded its 150,000th COVID death on July 28, five months after reporting the country’s first death and six months after the first reported case.
►Dr. Anthony Fauci says a new, easy-to-follow guide for people vaccinated should come soon from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📈 Today’s numbers: According to Johns Hopkins University data, the U.S. has more than 28.3 million cases of coronavirus and 505,800 deaths. The world total: more than 112.5 million cases and 2.49 million deaths. According to the CDC, more than 88.6 million doses of vaccine have been distributed and approximately 66.4 million have been administered.
📘 What we read: Surgery for a child, car loan, electric bills: we asked Americans how they would spend $ 1,400 stimulus checks. That’s what they said.
USA TODAY is watching COVID-19 news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Are you at a clubhouse? If so, you can agree to our live booking on COVID-19 at 7pm EST Thursday.
Less than 14% of the U.S. population has received the vaccine, and preliminary data suggest that people of color are vaccinated at lower prices than white Americans. Chelsea White, executive director of the Dallas Bethlehem Center, said the community has historically not trusted the government or outside groups, especially when it comes to health care.
“COVID is bad enough for anyone, but if you have a crisis in this area, it’s just catastrophic and will affect this environment for years,” White said. “They will obstruct too much, undermine and then leave.”
The Ad Council’s $ 500 million campaign to promote the COVID-19 vaccines launched on Thursday is aimed at the 40% of Americans who have not yet decided to be vaccinated. This will slowly change as the landscape of who is eligible and who has the questions shifts.
“We are dealing with the biggest issues of our lives,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “We realized pretty quickly that unless people can learn more about the vaccine and be educated, they may not take it. And then next year we will not be better off than this year. ”
The ads, which appear on TV, radio and online, contain images of people holding hands, families during a child’s birthday, people walking to church or friends sharing pizza next to each other, a reminder of how many things in a year has changed.
The headline for everyone is, “It depends on you.” Not to be vaccinated, but to be informed, Sherman said.
– Elizabeth Weise
Detailed information on a Johnson & Johnson candidate vaccine for COVID-19 raises no concerns, according to a report released early Wednesday. A Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee is holding a full-day meeting on Friday to review the data and is likely to give the vaccine a thumbs up. This could lead to an FDA authorization for the vaccine within the next few days. Richard Nettles, vice-president of J&J, said the company would make 20 million doses of the vaccine available by the end of March.
The J&J vaccine differs from the two already approved because only one shot is recommended instead of two and it does not need to be stored in a freezer.
The FDA’s advisory committee, called the Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products, or VRBPAC, is expected to sign off on the vaccine as it appears to meet all the requirements set by the FDA last year.
– Karen Weintraub
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press