From the desk of Dr. Gupta 02 02 2021

Last week, Johnson & Johnson released data from its Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial, and we could even see the company apply for an emergency use authorization this week.   While the headline of an overall efficacy of 66% doesn’t immediately wow most people (especially when Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech reported more than 90% efficacy), let’s talk about why this vaccine could be a worthy tool in our fight against Covid-19.   First of all, this vaccine requires one dose and can be stored and transported at normal refrigeration temperatures. This means transporting this vaccine far and wide could be done with more ease and help reach more people.   Then there’s this number: 85% – that’s how effective the company says its vaccine is against severe disease.   This means the vaccine can help prevent severe illness, which means keeping people out of the hospital and keeping them alive. This is clearly what most people are worried about.   When I spoke with Dr. Mathai Mammen, the company’s global head of research and development, he emphasized that this vaccine “can’t be compared head-to-head” with those from Moderna and Pfizer since Johnson & Johnson’s trial was conducted at a time when there was more virus circulating – including “problematic variants.”   Eight different countries have conducted clinical trials on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, including South Africa, where one of the more problematic variants was first identified.   If we look at the breakdown of the vaccine’s efficacy by country, the impact of virus mutations on vaccine efficacy becomes more clear.   In the US, it was 72% effective against moderate and severe disease. In South Africa, that number dropped to 57%.   But remember, it’s still 85% effective against severe disease across the board around the world, and it was tested at a time when the pandemic burden was actually higher.   Make no mistake, this vaccine can make a big impact if it gets authorized.