Q&A of the Day – Should the J&J vaccine decision change our view of COVID-19 vaccines?
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
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Today’s entry: You’ve been a proponent of the vaccinations. Does the decision to halt the J&J make you think twice about that?
Bottom Line: In a word...no. And the reason, is the same reason, I was a proponent of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines but not the Johnson and Johnson to begin with. Throughout the vaccination process I’ve been transparent with my thoughts, findings and analysis. I’ve also consistently sought top expert analysis where I’ve had additional questions. In light of the FDA and CDC’s findings regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine there are three poignant moments in my vaccine evaluation which come to mind. All of which I’ve openly shared. The first was an initial conversation with FIU’s Dr. Aileen Marty – one of the top immunologists in the world and an advisor to the WHO. Immediately after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine emergency use approval by the FDA, she said she didn’t agree with the assessment and wouldn’t have authorized it for use as the FDA did. That was a powerful, contradictory, statement by a top expert who’d thoroughly evaluated the vaccine. That guidance, along with the infection prevention efficacy of only 66% led to me having no personal interest in obtaining that vaccine. Next up was the recommendation by my mother’s primary care physician.
My mother has a rare blood-clotting disease called “Factor Five Leiden”. She was intending to be vaccinated along with my father over a month ago when her doctor recommended against the vaccination for her due to her blood disease. It’s clear that his medical evaluation of the available vaccines led to him feeling there was elevated risk for someone who’s already at high-risk of blood clots. At the time the only clotting concerns which had been raised were those involving the AstraZeneca vaccine which was never approved in the US. The third was based on my own analytics using all available research.
In March, I brought you a story illustrating two overseas studies (from England’s and Israel’s top medical authorities) illustrating that even the just first dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were far more effective in immunizing against COVID-19 infections than the one-dose Johnson & Johnson. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, from every angle I evaluated, studied and reviewed was an inferior product. The appealing aspect was the idea that it was just a one and done vaccination. But again, though it’s not recommended, if you only wanted to do one shot, you’d still likely have been better off with the Moderna or Pfizer. The way I’ve covered the vaccines and the personal decision I made, to be vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, were based on pragmatism following the same formula I use to provide all the stories I present. Establish the facts as we know them, evaluate them, and go where they take us. There’s a very intentional method to my madness. So, no. There’s no change in my outlook because there was never a time in my research where the J&J vaccine appeared to be the best option.
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