Detroit mayor disses J&J COVID vaccine, saying others are better. What does data say?

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters Thursday that he declined initial doses of the recently authorized Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week because the city has enough supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna shots needed to vaccinate eligible residents.

But Duggan laid out another reason for the rejection.

“Johnson and Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure that residents of the city of Detroit get the best,” Duggan said during a Thursday press briefing.

White House Senior Adviser Andy Slavitt said Friday during a White House COVID-19 briefing that Mayor Duggan’s comments were misunderstood.

“I do think it’s important to clarify that that was not actually the mayor’s intent and that was not the mayor’s comment,” Slavitt said to a reporter who asked about Duggan’s comments.

“We’ve been in constant dialogue with Mayor Duggan who said, in fact, that was not what he said, and/or however, it was reported. In fact, he’s very eager for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And I think we would reiterate the message that for all of us, the first vaccine we have an opportunity to take makes absolute sense to take. So thank you for allowing us to clarify that,” Slavitt said.

Duggan said the city received 29,000 doses for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines this week, enough to cover all of the eligible residents who want a shot.

“Every single eligible Detroiter can call today, make an appointment and will receive a Moderna/Pfizer vaccine next week at the TCF center,” Duggan said Friday in a statement to Detroit’s city council, CNBC reported. “As vaccine eligibility expands, Detroit will open a second site offering Johnson & Johnson vaccines. I have full confidence that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is both safe and effective.”

What does the data show?

Clinical trials showed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was overall 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 in the lab. Specifically in the U.S., efficacy jumped to 72%. On the other hand, the Pfizer and Moderna shots both demonstrated about 95% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19, the disease the coronavirus causes.

Meanwhile, all three vaccines offer absolute protection against coronavirus-related hospitalization and death. So, are they equal?

Not quite.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine had a very different clinical trial than that of the Pfizer and Moderna shot because it was up against the relatively new coronavirus variants that appear to be more contagious and evade vaccines to a small degree.

Pfizer and Moderna completed its clinical trials before the variants emerged from the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. Because preliminary data show the variants are slightly capable of escaping the current vaccines’ defense against them, the true protection offered by the shots may shrink in real-world settings.

Not to mention, efficacy rates determined during clinical trials are those of controlled settings. Scientists are still learning how effective the vaccines are in real life, but studies from Israel, where the most people per capita have been vaccinated, show the Pfizer vaccine, at least, works well at preventing asymptomatic and symptomatic infections.

“All of the vaccines are safe and effective and I recommend that all vaccines be offered in all communities,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, told CNBC in a statement.

“Also, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was studied in a more recent time period with more easily transmitted variants, so I would not recommend comparing the studies with Pfizer and Moderna directly to the studies on Johnson & Johnson,” Khaldun said.