SEAFORD, Del.- One appointment and one dose. The benefits of getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine based on convenience are evident.
Like Pfizer and Moderna, the dose is 100 percent effective against death and hospitalization due to the coronavirus. However, it is only 85 percent effective against severe disease and 72 percent effective to prevent moderate to severe COVID-19.
Public Information Officer of the Sussex County Emergency Management System Glenn Marshall is encouraging people to get whichever vaccine is available to them first.
"There is some hesitancy," Marshall said. "People who want to try and wait we’ll tell them if there is an opportunity, get a vaccine whether it’s Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson. You take that option because who knows what is going to go down the road."
Over 150 volunteers assisted with the clinic. Two thousand appointments were available to people in Phase 1B sitting on the waiting list. According to the Delaware Division of Public Health, southwestern Sussex County and New Castle are two areas with low rates of vaccination in the 65+ group.
Robert Fenske of Seaford said the process ran smoothly and he was waiting for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be approved before getting any shot.
"From what I read about the two different types of vaccine, the more comfortable I felt was J&J’s," Fenske said. "Seemed to be more like the flu vaccine than the other ones appeared to be."
Three thousand more Johnson & Johnson vaccines are expected to be given tomorrow in Delaware City as the state looks to get more people protected from COVID-19.
DPH says the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will not be used for a particular group. It will be added to the rotation available to the public.