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County receives first shipment of single-dose COVID-19 vaccine 

vaccineCounty allocates new vaccine to some local pharmacies for administration

–The County of San Luis Obispo announced today that it received its first allocation of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, which received its Emergency Use Authorization (EAU) from the Food and Drug Administration last week.

The County Public Health Department will reallocate 1,400 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to some local pharmacies to administer. The county’s three public COVID-19 vaccine clinics will continue to administer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at this time.

The single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States and has been through a rigorous testing and review process nationally and additionally by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, according to the county.

“The COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson & Johnson is very effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer. “Adding a third safe and effective vaccine to our arsenal will be instrumental in the fight against COVID-19. This is great news for our community.”

Similar to the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not contain the live coronavirus and cannot cause COVID-19 infection. A key feature of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it can be stored at regular refrigerator temperatures for up to three months, making it easier to transport and distribute to rural areas. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered in a single dose, meaning more people will be fully vaccinated at a faster rate.

“The three available COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and have been thoroughly tested for safety,” said Dr. Borenstein. “From the beginning, our biggest challenge has been limited supply of the vaccine. Adding a third vaccine manufacturer means more supply will be available for SLO County residents to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.”

Currently, eligible community members can now sign up for a first-dose vaccine appointment through the county’s vaccine appointment registry RecoverSLO.org/VaccineAppointments or by calling the county’s Phone Assistance Center at (805) 543-2444. Appointments are also available at some local pharmacies.

For more information, visit www.ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center is available at (805) 543-2444 to assist with questions related to COVID-19 seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.