Mass. doctor on J&J COVID-19 vaccine, effectiveness

Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious disease at Brigham and Women's Hospital, discusses the anticipated approval of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine and its effectiveness.

JOHNSON VACCINE IS SAFE ANDEFFECTIVE, IS THAT CONCLUSIONCONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING YOUHAVE READ AND SEEN?DR. KURITZKES: I HAD A CHANCE TOREAD THROUGH THE FDA ANALYSIS OFTHOSE DATA, AND THE DATA FROMTHE CLINICAL TRIAL SHOWS THATTHE VACCINE IS SAFE ANDEFFECTIVE AGAINST COVID-19.EMILY: WHAT ABOUT ANY ADULT WITHANY MEDICAL CONDITION.DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SIDEEFFECTS, DOING THICK ABOUT THATCOMPARED TO PFIZER IRMA DHARNA?DR. KURITZKES: SIDE EFFECTS ARESIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW WITHMODERNA AND PFIZER.MOST PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE ASORE ARM.SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVEMORE GENERALIZED MUSCLE ACHESAND PAINS AND THEY MAY GET FEVERAND SHOW.IT WILL BE MORE COMMON INYOUNGER THAN IN OLDER PEOPLE.PEOPLE WITH SEVEREIMMUNOCOMPROMISED CRUISES --POSITIONS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THETRIAL.I DON’T THINK SAFETY IS ACONCERN.EMILY: WHEN WE LOOK AT THEEFFECTIVENESS NUMBER, JOHNSON &JOHNSON, 72% IN MODERNA ANDPFIZER, THEY ARE IN THE 90’S.IT APPEARS LIKE IT’S LESSEFFECTIVE, IS THAT TRUE AND HOWSHOULD WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS?DR. KURITZKES: IT’S HARD TOCOMPARE ACROSS CLINICAL TRIALS.MODERNA AND PFIZER STUDIES WEREDONE IN THE LATE SUMMER ANDEARLY FALL FOR THE MOST PART.THIS STUDY GOT GOING IN THE FALLAND CONTINUED INTO THE WINTER.THE IMPORTANT POINT TO KEEP INMIND AS THERE WAS NO DEATHS FROMCOVID-19 AND PEOPLE WHO GOTIT WAS 85% EFFECTIVE ATPREVENTING DISEASES, WHICH ISWHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.EMILY: WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESETHREE DIFFERENT BRANDS, IS THEREANY REASON THAT ONE SHOULDCHOOSE ONE BRAND OVER ANOTHER?DR. KURITZKES: AT THIS POINT, IWOULD TAKE WHATEVER VACCINE ISOFFERED TO YOU.IF ANYBODY CAN GIVE VACCINATED,THERE WON’T BE ANY SARS COV 2CIRCULATING IN THE POPULATIONAND NOBODY WILL HAVE TO WORRYABOUT GETTING COVID-19.EMILY: I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUTNOVAVAX.WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT?DR. KURITZKES: THEY RELEASE SOMEDATA AT THE END OF JANUARY ANDIT’S 90% EFFECTIVE.A CLINICAL TRIAL DONE IN MANYDIFFERENT COUNTRIES.JUST LIKE THE J&J VACCINE, THEYHAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO AREHIGHLY EFFECTIVE.I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEINGMORE COMPLET