North Carolina to receive Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines starting Wednesday

(Timothy D. Easley/Getty Images)

(RALEIGH, N.C.) North Carolina expects to receive more than 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine beginning Wednesday, according to WCNC Charlotte.

Mandy K. Cohen, the head of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said, "A third COVID-19 vaccine means North Carolina can get more people vaccinated sooner, which will save lives and slow the spread."

Like the Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine protects against severe illness or death from COVID-19, with two notable differences.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was developed in partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, is given in one shot, and it only requires standard refrigeration temperatures to remain viable for three months, which simplifies storage and distribution and could ultimately improve vaccine access.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the single-shot vaccine for emergency use on Saturday, according to NBC News.

“Today’s emergency use authorization of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine is another milestone as we work to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Guided by our careful review of the science and data, we have determined that the vaccine’s known potential benefits clearly outweigh its known potential risks.”

Cohen said, "COVID-19 vaccines and the continued use of the 3 Ws are the most effective ways to help North Carolina stop the spread of COVID-19, get us back in control of our lives and back to the people and places we love."

As of Sunday, according to the state's COVID-19 vaccination data dashboard, state and federal providers have given more than 2.4 million shots throughout North Carolina.

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