Dr. Ocaranza advises El Pasoans not to develop a ‘bias’ against the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

EL PASO, Texas-- Much has been made about the new Covid-19 vaccine to enter circulation. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, February 27th.

The vaccine, unlike Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines only require one dose, however it's effectiveness is not as high. While the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines tout an efficacy rate in the 90 percentile, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine's efficacy rate is 72%. Still health experts advise all to get the vaccine regardless of which one is available.

"People shouldn't be looking at it as a number. Any vaccine that is going to save your life is the best vaccine that you are going to be having," Dr. Hector Ocaranza, the El Paso City/County Health Authority said.

There have been concerns among the health community that populations may turn away from the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. El Paso city officials tell ABC-7 they won't be giving anyone registered a chance to choose which vaccine they'll get.

"At this time we don't foresee giving choices and options, there is no guarantee on what we'll receive. Whatever we receive that week is what we are going to be able to vaccinate with the following week," said El Paso Fire Chief Mario D'Agostino, who leads emergency management operations.

Dr. Ocaranza tells ABC-7 his message is while the efficacy may be different, the result from all three vaccines have been the same because they've all been deemed safe.

"We are not here to compare apples to apples, it's different in the time that they were studies and the study designs that were made," Dr. Ocaranza explained. "One thing that we have found in all the vaccines that we are administering is that there hasn't been any deaths or hospitalizations for those that have received the vaccine - whether it's Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson."