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CVS was one of the leaders in the COVID vaccine rollout in December, when the company worked with long-term care facilities to begin immunizing the most vulnerable people in the United States. In mid-February, CVS began to vaccinate the general public and on April 1. , they had distributed 10 million doses in 44 US states. But now, a major change is underway at CVS across the United States when it comes to the COVID vaccine.
RELATED: If You Have This, Your Pfizer Or Moderna Vaccine Is Less Effective, Study Finds.
CVS Health is getting rid of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID vaccine at most of its locations, CNBC first reported on August 4. Customers can still get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at nearly 1,000 of the drug chain’s MinuteClinic sites in 25 states and Washington, DC But with over 9,900 outlets and around 1,100 MinuteClinics, that means the shot is only available in about 10% of CVS sites.
CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis told The Hill that all CVS outlets will continue to offer the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. He added that this change had started “several weeks ago and helps us manage our vaccine supply throughout the chain, both in our pharmacies and in our clinics.”
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The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was initially praised for its ability to provide protection against COVID with a single dose, but in recent months its reputation has been affected by production delays and rare but serious side effects. In April, the Food & Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a 10-day break from Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine “out of caution” while they investigated a few events in rare but serious blood clotting after vaccination. .
“I think the public is hearing that the vaccine is being taken off the market for a while and that it’s just hard to get past this scarlet letter,” Paul Offit, MD, a scientist who has served on advisory committees for the FDA and CDC, told CNBC.
RELATED: If You Have Pfizer You May Have This Delayed Side Effect, New Study Finds.
Now, as new, highly contagious variants emerge, particularly the Delta variant, which has already infected some vaccinated people, the overall effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is also giving some people pause. (The vaccine’s efficacy in clinical trials has consistently been lower than that of Pfizer and Moderna: 66.3% compared to the 95% efficacy rate of others.)
Some doctors have suggested that Johnson & Johnson beneficiaries should be given a booster – and in San Francisco, a hospital has started offering patients who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a second injection of Pfizer or Moderna as the Delta variant spreads.
Johnson & Johnson maintains that its vaccine is effective and safe, even against the Delta variant. In July, the manufacturer released data from its studies which show that the single hit “generated strong and persistent activity” against the new variant, and that its immune response lasted for at least eight months.
“We remain committed to helping end this deadly pandemic as quickly as possible. A single-injection vaccine that provides protection and prevents hospitalization and death is an important tool in the global fight against COVID-19,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement to CNBC about CVS’s decision to get rid of the vaccine. “Evidence from our Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study demonstrates the efficacy of J & J’s single-injection COVID-19 vaccine, including against the widely distributed viral variants. Regardless of race and ethnicity, age, location, and co-morbidities, these results remain consistent.
RELATED: If You Have Johnson & Johnson, It’s How Long You’re Actually Protected.
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