45,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses en route to Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Monday morning, rollout is set to start of the first single dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is the third shot approved in the United States to protect against the coronavirus. The maker said initially 3.9 million doses would be shipped nationally, and 45,000 of those are coming to Colorado. It’s expected 20 million doses will be available in the U.S. by the end of March and 100 million by the end of June.

UPS trucks were standing by for the shipments early Monday outside a Johnson & Johnson distribution site near Louisville, Kentucky.

Gov. Jared Polis expects the new supply will allow the state’s vaccination system to move faster and run more smoothly.

“This is the easiest to move around the state and even within urban areas because it requires normal refrigeration,” Polis said.

Johnson & Johnson’s shot does not have extremely cold temperature requirements like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Johnson & Johnson’s shot is also just one dose.

“Some consumers have a preference for one dose instead of two,” Polis said. Although, he added, all three vaccines being used are trustworthy.

“They’re all highly effective. They’re all safe. I want everybody to take every opportunity to roll up your sleeve and get protected,” Polis said.

Both Pfizer and Moderna’s shots have efficacy over 90 percent, while Johnson and Johnson’s shot has about 85-86 percent efficacy. Experts say that could have something to do with the timing of some trials and when variants of the coronavirus have emerged.

Colorado changed their vaccine plan. Some groups who used to be vaccine eligible on March 5 with group 1B.3 got moved down to group 1B.4. Group 1B.4 is expected to get their vaccines in late March. Click here for the full plan from the state.

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