Tag: Johnson & Johnson

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Free Screening Of HIV Doc ‘5B’ Hosted By Billy Porter

Join Billy Porter for a free viewing of the acclaimed documentary 5B followed by a chat with

Join Billy Porter for a free viewing of the acclaimed documentary '5B' followed by a chat with health experts about the effects and parallels of the AIDS and COVID pandemics
Tony/Emmy/Grammy Award winner Billy Porter
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first AIDS diagnosis, the world remains caught in the grips of another frightening health epidemic – COVID. Today, June 24, from 6:00-8:30PM EST, activist and actor Billy Porter – who just recently shared his own HIV diagnosis with the world – will join Michael Sneed, Johnson & Johnson’s EVP of Global Cultural Affairs (which in addition to helping the world fight COVID, is currently working on a HIV vaccine) for a free special screening of the award-winning documentary 5B.  The acclaimed documentary chronicles the stories of the heroic nurses who risked their lives to found the World’s first AIDS Ward. Following the screening, Porter will chat with 5B nurse Alison Moëd Paolercio, and author Rebecca Love RN to discuss the disproportionate toll that epidemics and pandemics take on at-risk communities, the parallels between the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 crises, and the role of nurses in driving healthcare change. People can register here for the webinar. Not able to join the event? Visit 5Bfilm.com to find out where to stream the movie and, after the event, view the archived fireside chat at https://nursing.jnj.com/5B-fireside-chat-with-billy-porter. Here’s the official trailer for 5B:

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CDC Hits Pause On Johnson &Johnson Vaccine

Image of a vaccine shot

Image of a vaccine shot The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hit the pause button for injections of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine after 6 women developed a rare blood clotting disease. From the New York Times:

All six were women between the ages of 18 and 48 and all developed the illness within one to three weeks of vaccination. One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition.

As of Monday, nearly seven million people in the United States have received Johnson & Johnson shots so far without any other serious adverse reactions reported, and roughly nine million more doses have been shipped out to the states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At this point, there’s no hard evidence there’s a connection between the blood clotting and the J&J vaccine. With 6 patients out of nearly 7 million vaccinated with the vaccine, experts point out the odds of getting COVID-19 are far greater. But, the development is sure to cause even more vaccine hesitancy in those who were already unsure about getting vaccinated. There are no reports that the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines – which are based on a different scientific approach – have been connected to similar blood clotting.

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Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Deliveries To Drop Due To Manufacturing Issues

Image of a vaccine shot

Image of a vaccine shot There’s going to be a big dip in Johnson & Johnson vaccine deliveries due to woeful failures at the contracted manufacturing plant in Maryland. From the New York Times:

Johnson & Johnson will allocate 86 percent fewer doses across the United States next week than are currently being allocated, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dealing a setback to a national vaccination campaign that has just found its footing.

The distribution of the drug, a single-shot vaccine, has been inconsistent since Johnson & Johnson delivered its first batch at the beginning of March, sending 2.8 million doses across the country before dipping below 400,000 in the following weeks.

Last month, Johnson & Johnson was forced to jettison up to 15 million doses manufactured at the factory because the batch had been contaminated with a virus used in the production of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is also manufactured there.

The Johnson & Johnson shot has been popular for it’s easier to store “one-and-done” single dose. J & J had previously promised to deliver 24 million new doses by the end of April. Read the full article here.

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Fauci: ‘I Would Have No Hesitancy’ Taking J&J Vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci (screen capture)
During an appearance on Meet The Press today, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked about differences between the Moderna and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines versus the newly-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The primary difference is the J&J vaccine is a single shot vaccination where the first two you have to return for a follow-up shot 3-4 weeks later. Also, the J&J vaccine can be shipped and stored at normal refrigerator temperatures compared to the other two which have to be stored frozen at ultra-cold temperatures. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines demonstrated higher efficacy rates in trials but Fauci says direct comparisons with the J&J vaccine is difficult because J&J’s was conducted as more contagious variants of the virus were circulating. According to the New York Times, the FDA approved the J&J version this weekend following presentations showing the vaccine was 85 percent protective against severe Covid-19 disease across all clinical trial sites and provided 100% protection against hospitalizations and deaths. “All three of them are really quite good, and people should take the one that’s most available to them,” Fauci told NBC News host Chuck Todd. “If you go to a place and you have J&J, and that’s the one that’s available now, I would take it.”

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Experimental HIV Vaccine By Johnson & Johnson To Begin Human Trials

Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson will soon begin testing an experimental HIV vaccine in the U.S. and Europe sometime this year, according to Bloomberg News.

Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson will soon begin testing an experimental HIV vaccine in the U.S. and Europe sometime this year, according to Bloomberg News.

The experimental vaccine, described as a “mosaic-based preventative immunization,” is made up of four components that target several strains the HIV virus.

The vaccine utilizes an altered cold virus to create a group of “mosaic” proteins that will elicit immune responses to a variety of strains.

Approximately 3,800 men who have sex with men are expected to take part in the trial expected to begin later this year. The participants will receive a series of six shots in four sessions.

Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School professor who has worked on the vaccine for years, told Bloomberg the J&J vaccine has provided protection in up to two-thirds of tested animals.

Results from the human trials are expected as soon as 2023.

Additionally, another version of the mosaic vaccine is currently being tested across five countries in southern Africa. Some 2,600 women are enrolled in that study called “Imbokodo.”

According to J&J, “Imbokodo” is the Zulu word for ‘rock’ which is part of a well-known proverb in South Africa that refers to the strength of women and their importance in the community.

Results from Imbokodo are expected in 2021.