FDA APPROVES THIRD VACCINE

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, adding a third vaccine to those available in the United States. All three vaccines have been approved by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). An EUA makes the vaccine available for public health emergencies with continued use if people benefit from it. Research will continue on all three vaccines as they move toward full approval. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine requires only a single shot. It is easy to use, ship and store. It did not cause any serious side effects during clinical trials. The company hopes to ship 20 million doses by the end of March. “You now have three highly effective vaccines, for sure, there’s no doubt about that,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert. Fauci’s remarks came the day after the FDA authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “I think people need to get vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as possible,” said Dr. Fauci.

---

"Member Voices"

“I am getting the vaccine because I believe in being proactive. Getting it will not only help myself but my kids who can’t get it because of their age. If we can do something preventative to stay healthy, I’m all for it! I want to be part of dissipating the virus, so I got my vaccine!”

April Stonebraker, LPN
Elderwood at Lockport

---

COVID-19 QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: How Effective is the New Johnson & Johnson Vaccine?

A: Very effective. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine completely prevented hospitalization and death, including in South Africa against a more transmissible variant, and was 85 percent effective at protecting against severe cases of illness. It was 72 percent effective at preventing moderate illness in the U.S. trials. The vaccine’s effectiveness is far higher than the FDA’s 50 percent requirement. Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly endorsed the vaccine’s effectiveness after its approval.

---

VACCINES CONTRIBUTE TO REMARKABLE DROP IN NURSING HOME RESIDENT DEATHS

After a year of tragedy in nursing homes, a new analysis of federal COVID-19 data shows a significant drop in resident deaths in the weeks after vaccine clinics began. According to analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation “According to the CDC, there has been strong evidence that the vaccines prevent severe illness and death, and the sharp divergence in deaths inside and outside of long-term care facilities is consistent with that evidence.” As the federal government’s long-term care vaccination partnership with CVS and Walgreens kicked off between the last week of December and the first week of February, weekly deaths in nursing homes fell 66 percent. The reported decline still represents more than 2,000 fatalities and came as the nationwide death count, excluding nursing homes, spiked 61 percent during the week ended February 7. In New York, over 70 percent of residents and 50 percent of staff have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. Efforts to vaccinate caregivers continue, to protect residents as well as workers and their families.

---

FAQs/Questions/Links/Info FAQs compiled and updated regularly by 1199’s Benefit Fund and the first place to go for questions about the Covid-19 vaccine, where to get it, and other concerns. Read more Other questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? Email us at: VaccineQuestions@1199.org