CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, announced today that the agency gave full approval to the new coronavirus vaccine.
Despite this good news, most people simply want to know whether they might be eligible to receive this new vaccine (as compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) and where it might be available.
The good news/bad news is that the distribution will happen through the same channels as the first two vaccines. The priority groups also will be the same.
The CDC told state and local health officials it expects that the 3.9 million doses Janssen says it has available will be divided to the current distribution sites. This means 2.8 million doses will be targeted to states for distribution, 800,000 doses will go to retail pharmacies, 70,000 doses for community vaccine centers, and 90,000 doses for federally qualified health centers.
So, unfortunately no one should expect this to be a transforming event in vaccine availability. Best case is that it adds 10 million doses over the next month. However, these doses require only normal refrigeration so they could help supply rural sites or walk in clinics.
Pandemic Pondering 
Friends in Canada recently received their first Pfizer shots and were told they’d be contacted to get their second ones between 2 weeks and 4 months from now. I’m sure the government is doing this to get as many first shots in arms as possible. How would waiting up to 4 months for a second shot affect the efficacy of their vaccine?
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We just do not know. Hopefully it won’t alter long term immunity, and just put people at slightly increased risk while they wait their second dose. Let’s all hope!
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