Katie Talks To...

Johnson & Johnson CEO on What to Know About Their New Covid-19 Vaccine

Alex Gorsky talks to Katie about Covid-19 and J&J’s Vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. It’s the third vaccine that was authorized to be used in the United States, joining Pfizer and Moderna. However, unlike its predecessors, Johnson & Johnson is a one-shot dose and can be stored at refrigerated temperatures for months. The federal government plans to distribute nearly 4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine starting this week.

In an Instagram Live, Katie spoke with Johnson & Johnson’s CEO Alex Gorsky about Covid-19, new variants, and their new vaccine. “[The J&J vaccine] took more than 13 months to pull together,” Gorsky said. “Today, we’ve already delivered 3.9 million doses in the U.S. We really couldn’t be more proud.” 

The J&J vaccine has been reported 72 percent effective in the U.S. When asked about the vaccine’s efficacy, Gorsky pointed to two key points. First, he explained, Johnson & Johnson’s clinical trial started in September 2020, which was right when the rate of Covid-19 infections was increasing drastically. In addition, Johnson & Johnson’s trial was conducted globally and encountered challenging new variants in both Latin America and South Africa. Between high infection rates and new variants, the vaccine was “100% effective in terms of keeping people out of the hospital and keeping people from dying,” Gorsky said. 

Today, the U.S. is averaging more than 1.9 million shots in arms per day. However, a survey found that 30 percent of Americans are hesitant to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Gorksy urges people to get the vaccine if they are able, stating that of the tens of millions of patients who have received it, the reactions and side effects have been very consistent with what Johnson & Johnson saw in clinical trials. 

Katie asked Gorsky about whether people who have received the vaccination are able to transmit the disease to others. While there is no definitive data, Gorsky says the early reports are encouraging — showing a significant impact on the rate of transmission.

Johnson & Johnson plans to ship 20 million vaccine doses by the end of March. He urges Americans to trust the science, adding, “Every day that goes by that someone doesn’t get vaccinated and this virus is transmitted, represents the potential for another hospitalization and another death.

Written by Eliza Costas.