State reports high demand for Johnson and Johnson vaccine, while state’s allocation goes down
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As the supply of the vaccine continues to outpace demand, it's getting easier for Missourians to get picky about their vaccine.
MU Health announced Monday it would be hosting an event using the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for the first time on June 2 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dr. Margaret Day with MU Health Care said 300 appoints will be available that day for the single-dose shot. The system was given these doses through redistribution.
"Certainly, we are excited to get any vaccine to be able to serve the community," Day said.
She hopes that the ease of only requiring one shot for the J&J vaccine will attract people to the event. But some people are still hesitant about vaccines, the J&J vaccine in particular after its approval was paused after very rare blood clots and low platelet counts were found to be caused by the vaccine.
Day said she believes that the pause showed just how safe the vaccine is, by ensuring the public it was only a very small number of people, and proving the safety checks are in place afterward.
"The safety profiles are very, very good, and the monitoring systems to look for potential harm is also very good," Day said. "Johnson and Johnson is overall very safe and very effective."
Lisa Cox with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the state's allocation of J&J vaccine has dropped off, there is still high demand for it from vaccinators across Missouri.
"The little bit that we do get is still in high demand," Cox said. "Vaccinators still really appreciate the fact that it's a one-dose regimen, the logistics are much simpler, and we're actually still seeing, even though we had the pause about a month ago that people are still really interested in that one dose option."
The state is not expected to receive any doses of the J&J vaccine this week, but distribution is still happening and requests for that specific vaccine are still being made, according to Cox.
"There's just a lot more Pfizer and Moderna being produced for them to select, and we have enough in allocations of Pfizer and Moderna for them to get (the amount)they would like," Cox said.
The Columbia/Boone County Health Department spokeswoman Sara Humm reinforced the safety of the vaccine and the importance of getting a shot.
The department has all three vaccines, which they give out in different situations based on several factors.
"We use different vaccines in different situations, and making sure people have the option if they prefer one over the other that they know where to get that," Humm said.
