Virginia to get allocation of single-dose COVID vaccines
The Virginia Department of Health will begin offering the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson next week, the agency announced.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for that vaccine on Feb. 27.
Virginia is expected to receive 69,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will be prioritized for mass vaccination clinics across the state. An additional allotment is expected to be sent to pharmacies participating in the federal vaccination partnership.
The addition of the third vaccine, supplementing those already in use from Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, is expected to speed up vaccinations of the public.
Related story: Fairfax County Health Department still working through COVID vaccination registrations from Jan. 18
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the one from Johnson & Johnson doesn’t require people to return to clinics for a second dose and doesn’t need to be stored in ultra-cold freezers.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a 72 percent effectiveness rate in the U.S. but studies show it prevents 100 percent of hospitalizations and deaths. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95 and 94 percent effective, respectively.
As of the last day of February, Fairfax County has had 950 COVID-19 deaths and 3,556 hospitalizations. The number of cases is trending downward, but new more contagious COVID variants are causing concern.
