By Sahar Chmais
Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are available at private medical clinics in Hays County in the first week of rollouts, beginning March 8.
The J&J vaccine is 85% effective in preventing severe disease about 28 days after vaccination, according to the company’s data. Unlike Moderna and Pfizer, the J&J vaccine will only be given in one shot, not two.
This vaccine also functions in a different manner than Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, which use messenger RNA to deliver parts of the virus’s genetic code to cells. J&J will function like an instruction sheet that tells cells how to make a piece of the spike protein on the virus. The immune system learns how to recognize the harmless spike protein, and in turn can fight it.
So far, 18 Hays County medical facilities have been allocated the J&J vaccine by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS), providing 5,800 J&J vaccines.
The following facilities have received the vaccines:
· Wimberley Pharmacy
· Texas State University Student Health Services
· San Marcos Family Medicine
· Christus Santa Rosa Hospital
· B and J Pharmacy in Wimberley
· Ascension Medical Group Seton
· Seton Family of Doctors at Hays
· Satellite Healthcare Kyle
· BioMedical Applications of Texas Inc.
· Austin Regional Clinic in Kyle, Center Street, Dripping Springs and Buda
· Solutions Pharmacy
· Baylor Scott and White Buda Medical Center
· Ascension Seton Health Center Buda
· First Medical Response of Texas Inc.
Hays County Local Health Department has not yet been allocated with any J&J COVID-19 vaccines.
