3. Why is messaging important?
How the concerns about risk are communicated could have a lasting impact on whether some people go ahead and get vaccinated.
“The messaging is very important because science alone does not get us to the outcomes we need,” said Zoë McLaren, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
McLaren said the FDA is known for being risk-averse and that’s how it developed its reputation for protecting Americans’ food and drug supply. “Part of messaging is communicating to the public what the FDA is doing,” said McLaren, who was inoculated with the J&J vaccine.
J&J’s is one of three covid vaccines that have been cleared for use under an emergency authorization in the U.S. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses, the J&J version requires only one shot.
According to the CDC’s vaccine tracker, nearly half of U.S. adults have been at least partially vaccinated, and the numbers have been soaring in recent weeks to an average topping 3 million doses a day.
Of the more than 190 million doses of covid vaccine administered in the U.S., about 7 million were J&J.
Nonetheless, the number of new covid infections is still rising in many states and there are concerns from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and others about another surge as a result — in part — of people hesitating to get vaccinated.
On the bright side, though, the blood clot issue comes months after the vaccination rollout began and as Moderna and Pfizer have committed to having enough doses to vaccinate most Americans.
4. How does this play into vaccine hesitancy? Does transparency help or hurt?
The latest surveys show 13% of adults say they won’t get a covid vaccine and 15% will get one only if required by their employer or to travel.