Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (D) defends his decision to reject a shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, saying at a press conference Thursday that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are better and wants Detroit residents to “get the best”.
Duggan had rejected 6,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which last weekend became the third approved for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The mayor said this week the city received 29,000 Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna inoculations, which he said were enough to vaccinate all residents who so far can get the vaccine and want one.
In accordance with the city health department, residents 50 years of age or older with an underlying medical condition, manufacturing employees, school employees, and others identified in high-priority groups are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
“So Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Modern and Pfizer are the best, “Duggan said Thursday.” And I’ll do my best to make sure Detroit city residents get the best they can. ”
Clinical trials of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be about 95 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 after two doses administered weeks apart.
Meanwhile, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose, was found to be approximately 72% effective.
“Right now, anyone in the city of Detroit who is eligible and wants a vaccine can get one,” Duggan said. “The day may come in March or April when every Moderna and Pfizer are committed and we still have people who need a vaccine. And right now we’re going to create a Johnson & Johnson center. ”
The mayor added, however, that he does not see this scenario happening “in the coming weeks.”
Public health experts have repeatedly promoted the safety and efficacy of each of the FDA-approved vaccines, encouraging people to receive what is available.
Bob Wheaton, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services he said in a statement to CNN Friday that more than 6,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson not using Detroit have been “provided to other health departments with lower coverage rates for those 65 and older.”
According to the Detroit COVID-19 board, so far more than 101,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the city, with more than 55,000 future doses already scheduled.