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Johnson & Johnson Krem do Twarzy - Odkryj Tajemnice Zdrowej i Promiennej Skóry
How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other vaccines?
At first glance, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine looks to be the inferior option compared to the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, both of which reported around 95 percent effectiveness in their Phase 3 clinical trials.
Experts say that in no way should those percentages be interpreted in a way that suggests that the Johnson & Johnson shot — with its 72 percent effectiveness — is 23 percentage points less effective.
The percentages can't be compared directly to one another, because the trials were run differently. The vaccines were studied at different times during the pandemic, when different variants were circulating.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has been changing ever since it was discovered in Wuhan, China.
"The virus that swept through China was not the virus that left China," Offit said. "The virus that left China was the first variant, and it was more contagious than the one that originally popped up."
That could account for the decreased effectiveness reported in Johnson & Johnson's trials — there's no way to know how the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines would have fared in the same scenario.
"I am speculating," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, "but the notion is that, yes, we think that if the Moderna and Pfizer people had been in South Africa at the same time that Johnson & Johnson were testing their vaccine, we would probably get all very comparable results."
When will it be available?
States already got their first batches of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week. In addition to the 4 million doses that shipped out Monday, the company is expected to have delivered a total of 20 million doses by the end of the month.
A deal between Johnson & Johnson and Merck was announced Tuesday to speed production of the single-dose vaccine. As was first reported by The Washington Post, the federal government brokered the partnership between the pharmaceutical giants after Biden administration officials learned that Johnson & Johnson had fallen behind on its manufacturing targets.
Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said Monday on NBC's "TODAY" show that the company is aiming to distribute 100 million shots by the end of June and 1 billion by the end of the year.
Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."
Denise Chow is a science and space reporter for NBC News.
Side Effects and Adverse Events
In every clinical trial, participants are asked to record any reactions they have after receiving a medication or vaccine. Adverse reactions are considered to be medication reactions directly caused by a vaccine, whereas a side effect is a physical reaction to a medication.
Initial safety information released for the vaccine shows that the most common reactions after the vaccine was administered included:
- Injection site pain, redness, or swelling
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Fever
People who are immunocompromised, including those receiving immunosuppressant therapies, may have a diminished immune response to the vaccine, according to the FDA.
Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
On July 13, 2021, the FDA announced another update to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine label regarding an observed increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the 42 days following vaccination.
Although these findings suggest a link between the vaccine and a small increased risk of GBS, the FDA states it is insufficient to establish a causal relationship. While the FDA and CDC monitored cases of the syndrome, they emphasized that the potential benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh this very low risk.
Warning Symptoms
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Weakness or tingling, especially in the legs or arms, that appears to worsen or spread
- Difficulty walking
- Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing, or swallowing
- Double vision or inability to move the eyes
- Difficulty with bladder control or bowel function
Risk of Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia
Healthcare providers were also warned that treating a suspected case of this condition (known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia) with the blood thinner heparin may be harmful and alternative treatments may be needed along with a consultation with hematology specialists.