A third COVID-19 vaccine could arrive in Indiana as soon as next week. An emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently under consideration with the FDA.
Indiana Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver says news could come this weekend. “We have been told that about two million Johnson & Johnson doses may be available nationally,” she said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We do not know exactly how much Indiana will receive, but we are planning for how quickly we can get these shots administered to Hoosiers.”
Unlike the vaccines that are currently available, Johnson & Johnson’s would only require a single dose. “It has an 85-percent efficacy a month out from administration, and zero hospitalizations or deaths, which is exactly what we want to see,” Weaver said. “This is an amazingly effective vaccine. Remember that the annual flu vaccine is about 40-to-60-percent effective each year.”
The new vaccine’s arrival could have a big impact, according to Governor Eric Holcomb. “That really is that kind of roadmap to the moment where we can make some really good, big decisions,” Holcomb said.
Dr. Weaver reported that the state expected to get 247,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines this week, going up to 267,000 next week.
