On February 27, 2021, the FDA approved the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in individuals aged 18 or older. This vaccine is the first COVID vaccine approved that only requires a single dose to be administered. Johnson & Johnson’s studies have shown that the vaccine is 85% effective in preventing severe disease. It is 100% effective at protecting against hospitalization and death related to COVID-19, according to the Washington Post.

Its side effects include pain at the injection site and flu like symptoms that begin two days after the vaccination on average. These side effects are in line with the side effects of the vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer, according to Healthline.com. “In the clinical trials [for the J&J vaccine], fewer people reported side effects, relative to Pfizer or Moderna, especially if we compare J&J to the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna,” reported Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, a professor at the University of Texas Health School.

The J&J vaccine has several key differences between it and the existing Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, according to CNN.

Firstly, the J&J vaccine is made with a different technology than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Those existing vaccines work with a technology utilizing messenger RNA, which your body uses to produce small proteins which are present in the novel Coronavirus. This causes your body to generate antibodies for these portions of the virus, so it is prepared for the real thing. The J&J vaccine, however, uses what is called viral vector technology. A modified common cold virus is injected into the body which cannot spread and does not give the carrier a cold. The modified virus cells transmit genetic information into the body, and, like the other vaccines, cause your body to produce parts of the Coronavirus, stimulating an immune response and producing antibodies.

Secondly, it is easier to store and transport than the other vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored between -60ºC and -80ºC, requiring special equipment, and the Moderna must be stored around -20ºC, the temperature of a normal freezer. On the other hand, the J&J vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperatures above 0ºC for months, making it much easier to transport, as reported by CNN.

According to the Washington Post, this is very good news for the pandemic overall. “It will help to finally quell this terrible pandemic,” epidemiologist Philip J. Landrigan said. As the demand for vaccinations is much more than the supply that we had, having a third option, let alone one that is easier to transport, is going to speed up vaccinations and get the US back to normal faster.