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Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply could slow
Nearly 4.5 million people across Florida have now been at least partially vaccinated for COVID-19 and that includes 76,000 people who have received the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine. But there are new concerns that the one-shot wonder may not be available again in Florida for a while.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Gov. Ron Desantis is warning that there will be no Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming to Florida for the next two or three weeks.
The regional Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) site in Orange County has already run out of the J&J vaccine. It's popularity surprised the governor.
"I didn’t know how people were going to react to it. The clinical data was fantastic but it was presented in the media as being less effective when it really wasn’t less effective in preventing death and serious hospitalization. It was really a little less effective for mild cold-like symptoms," DeSantis said.
For the last two weeks, those who are qualified for the vaccine have had their choice of Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson.
"I was hoping for the J&J just because it’s one and done," Kristen Rainone said. Her only choice was Pfizer. "I wasn’t picky. Just happy to get the first dose."
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It seems everyone has a preference. Latangi Pugh picked the FEMA site knowing they have Pfizer.
"I didn’t want the Johnson one," Pugh said.
Laurie Harshfield is also immunocompromised. She was thrilled to get a jab of Pfizer.
"As a nurse, I would have taken any of them," Harshfield said.
She’s a nurse of 42 years. Now she’s anxious to get her second shot in three weeks so she can go back to work.
"Right now I’m in a cocoon," she said.
Since the Johnson & Johnson vaccine became available, the FEMA site offered 500 J&J vaccines daily and 2,500 Pfizer vaccines. They haven’t been hitting capacity. That means at least 500 people a day had been choosing Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine over Pfizers.
A site spokesperson tells FOX 35 News they are still able to vaccinate up to 3,000 people a day with Pfizer. On Wednesday, they administered just over 1,500 vaccines. Our FOX 35 News crew noted the line moved quickly. Appointments are not required at that site FEMA’s site at the Valencia College-West Campus.
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