Mass. doctor on what's different with Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine

Johnson & Johnson submitted its application Thursday to the Food and Drug Administration for the company's single-dose coronavirus vaccine.

40.WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE SNOWTHREAT.EMILY: SOUNDS GOOD, MIKE.THE CDC NOW REPORTS A 60% DROPNATIONALLY IN THE NUMBER OF NEWCOVID CASES SINCE JANUARY 8.HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ISDR. SHIRA DORON, THE HOSPITALEPIDEMIOLOGIST AT TUFTS MEDICALCENTER.GOOD TO SEE YOU.DR. DORON: YOU, TOO.EMILY: THAT’S A BIG DECLINE.HOW DOES MASSACHUSETTS COMPARERIGHT NOW TO THE REST OF THECOUNTRY?AND DOES THE DATA SHOW THATCOVID VACCINES ARE STARTING TOHAVE AN EFFECT?DR. DORON: MASSACHUSETTS SHOWSTHIS SAME DECLINE AS THE REST OFTHE COUNTRY, BUT WE HAVE NOT HADENOUGH OF THE GENERAL PUBLICVACCINATED FOR THE 60% TO BE DUETO VACCINATION, SO THE REALCAUSES PROBABLY MULTIFACTORIAL.THE HOLIDAYS ARE BEHIND US.MAYBE PEOPLE ARE BEING MORECAREFUL.THERE ARE THEORIES THAT WE MIGHTBE STARTING TO SEE AN EFFECTTHAT COMES FROM THE SHEER NUMBEROF PEOPLE, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN,WHO HAD COVID AND ARE NOWIMMUNE.BUT IT’S NOT THE TIME TO LET OURGUARD DOWN.EMILY: GOOD TO KNOW.WE’VE HAD A LOT OF ENCOURAGINGNEWS THIS WEEK ABOUT VACCINES.THE ONE FROM JOHNSON & JOHNSONIS CLOSE TO BECOMING THE THIRDVACCINE AUTHORIZED FOR USE INTHE U.S.WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT IT?DR. DORON: WHAT IS GREAT ABOUTIT IS, FIRST, IT’S A ONE DOSEVACCINE.IT ONLY NEEDS STANDARDREFRIGERATION, NOT ULTRACOLDLIKE PFIZER AND MODERNA.A LOT OF THE LOGISTICAL PROBLEMSCAN BE ELIMINATED IF WE GET ANEW, DECENT SUPPLY OF THISVACCINE, HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK.-- NEXT MONTH.EMILY: GOOD.WE ALSO GOT SOME NEW INFORMATIONTODAY FROM ASTRA-ZENECA.THE COMPANY SAYS ITS VACCINECANDIDATE APPEARS TO BE JUST ASEFFECTIVE AGAINST THE U.K.VARIANT AS IT IS AGAINST THEORIGINAL STRAIN.WHAT DOES THAT MATTER?DR. DORON: WE WANT TO KNOW IFTHE ROLLOUT WILL BRING US BACKTO NORMALCY AND WE HAVE THIS NEWWORRY THAT VARIANT STRAINS COU-- IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT EVENIF THE U.K. STRAIN BECOMESPREDOMINANT IN THE U.S.,EXISTING STRAINS WILL BEEFFECTIVE.THE VARIANT FROM SOUTH AFRICADOES APPEAR TO BE BETTER ATEVADING IMMUNITY FROM INFECTIONAND VACCINATION, SO WE WILL HAVETO KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT ONE.EMILY: GOVERNOR BAKER SPOKETODAY ABOUT THE HESITATION THATPEOPLE HAVE ABOUT BEINGVACCINATED?SO I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT ARUMOR THAT HAS SPREAD QUICKLY ONSOCIAL MEDIA.DO ANY OF THESE VACCINES CONTAA MICROCHIP OR A TRACKER OF SOMESORT THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANACCESS?DR. DORON: DEFINITELY NOT.SOMETIMES I THINK MISINFORMATIONSPREADS FASTER THAN THE VIRUSITSELF.THAT’S W