Calif. To Receive Its Initial 380K Doses Of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine This Week

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Tens of thousands of doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be shipped to California beginning this week.

Gov. Gavin Newsom reported on Twitter that about 380,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive "as early as this week." The FDA gave the drug emergency authorization on Saturday.

It's unclear exactly how long it will take to distribute the vaccine into Northern California and begin to administer it.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine differs from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in that it is a single-shot vaccine, while those require two shots about a month apart. It also doesn't require ultra-cold freezers but can be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures for up to three months, according to CBS News.

"The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said Saturday.

In clinical trials, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was 85% effective in preventing severe COVID-19 as of 28 days after vaccination. There were no COVID-related hospitalizations or deaths among those who got the vaccine in the trials.