An initial allocation of about 47,000 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses is expected to arrive in Wisconsin next week, the state health department announced Monday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over the weekend, to be used nationwide. It is the third vaccine now in use in the country, and the first to only require one dose to be effective.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services expects the J&J vaccine to be "critical" in the state's effort to expand its vaccination rollout and clamp down on the spread of the coronavirus.
The DHS also notes the vaccine makes logistics easier, with doses requiring simpler storage requirements compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. It can be kept in a fridge for up to three months, allowing doses to be shipped directly to all corners of Wisconsin.
Residents can expect similar symptoms after receiving the vaccine, including fatigue, sore arms, swelling and fever - symptoms that show the vaccine is working.
DHS Interim Secretary Karen Timberlake said she was encouraged by the release of the third vaccine for Wisconsin, in the statement on Monday.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is held to the same high safety standards by the FDA as the other authorized COVID-19 vaccines. The trials show it is very effective at protecting people against being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19. We strongly encourage you to take whichever vaccine you are offered when it is your turn,” according to Timberlake.