TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is on its way to becoming the third vaccine available to fight the coronavirus in the United States.
A group of US health advisers endorsed the one-dose COVID-19 vaccine Friday afternoon and now, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to quickly follow the recommendation.
One local doctor told the FDA panel that a specific group of people still have questions about the vaccine.
Dr. David Berger, a pediatrician with Wholistic Family Care, testified Friday about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
At the heart of his patients’ concerns are the effects this particular type of vaccine will have on pregnant and child-bearing-aged women.
“We know there’s been no studies done on pregnancies and COVID vaccines and at the same time we know the emergency use authorizations allows for them to be given to pregnant women,” Berger said.
Although not about this particular concern, Johnson & Johnson released this statement regarding the vaccine:
“Johnson & Johnson continues to develop and test its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in accordance with ethical standards and sound scientific principles. The company is committed to transparency and sharing information related to its ongoing clinical studies.”
If authorized for emergency use, J&J said it can deliver 20 million doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June.