Vaccine Facts

This vaccine is just a little less effective at 86%, but it prevents death and major hospitalizations at 86%.  The variant could have contributed to the little less % effective rate.  Also, this Janssen COVID vaccine has a less propensity to cause an allergic reaction and a lesser side effect profile. The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and nausea. Most of these side effects occurred within 1-2 days following vaccination and were mild to moderate in severity and lasted 1-2 days. Though it's rare, you can still catch COVID-19 after getting vaccinated, but research shows milder symptoms and lower transmission.  In trials around the world, J&J's shot was shown to be 66% effective at preventing coronavirus infections altogether, and 85% effective at preventing severe COVID-19 cases, when given four weeks to take effect.

Taken at face value, that may not appear as good as Moderna's or Pfizer's two-shot vaccines, both of which had efficacy better than 94% in their 2020 trials. But don't be fooled by the buffet of incomplete vaccine data we have. Comparing efficacy rates among different vaccine trials conducted at different times is like comparing apples to oranges. That's why Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts have said they would just take whichever shot they could get.  And for some people, getting the J&J vaccine may be ideal.  Young, healthy people, and those who can't necessarily afford to come back for a second jab, may prefer it, and others who don't tolerate vaccine side effects well might like it better too. Plus, you have to consider that J&J's shot was tested out at the height of the pandemic, which may have had an effect on the numbers in the trial.  While it may not eliminate disease, J&J's jab holds its own in preventing the worst outcomes of COVID-19 — hospitalization and death. What's more, it's cheap to make, simple to give and get, and you'll gain some good viral protection in just a matter of weeks, without ever having to return for a second shot. As a bonus, you just might be better protected than anyone else against some new variants that are spreading fast.

The FDA says the most frequent local adverse reaction with Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was injection site pain, which was reported by 48.6 percent of the vaccine recipients.  Headache was the most frequently reported systemic adverse reaction, occurring in 38.9 percent of the vaccine recipients.  Fatigue was the second most common systemic side effect with 38.2 percent of vaccine recipients reporting it.  Muscle pain, otherwise known as myalgia, was reported by 33.2 percent of the vaccine recipients.  Nausea was another possible systemic adverse reaction, according to the report. Out of the vaccine recipients, 14.2 percent reported experiencing this side effect, but unlike the other systemic reactions (which were more common in younger participants), nausea was reported similarly among age groups.  According to the FDA, fever was another possible systemic adverse reaction, but it was less common than any of the others. Only 9 percent of participants reported this side effect, and no participants reported experiencing a fever for longer than seven days.  According to the report, only 7.3 percent of vaccine recipients reported skin redness side effect.  Alongside injection site pain and skin redness, swelling is another possible local adverse reaction from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, per the FDA. However, it is the least likely. Only 5.3 percent of vaccine recipients reported this side effect.

Johnson & Johnson

• The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, followed by headache, fatigue and myalgia (muscle pain).
• There was one case of hypersensitivity — although not classified as anaphylaxis — that began two days after the injection.
• There were four reported cases of Bell's palsy: two among those getting the vaccine and two who received the placebo.