Originally published on March 1, 2021 6:45 pm
The U.S. government Sunday started distributing nearly 4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single shot COVID-19 vaccine to states, tribes and territories. Montana is expected to receive 8,700 doses later this week.
In a Tweet Monday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said, “counties will begin distributing this safe, effective vaccine next week.”
The White House COVID-19 Task Force during a briefing said states’ allocations depend on population and are expected to be limited and uneven in the first few weeks.
Johnson & Johnson plans to deliver around 20 million doses by the end of the month.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine for emergency use Saturday. An international study with 40,000 participants found the vaccine to be 85% effective in preventing severe or critical COVID-19 disease. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have higher effectiveness ratings but were developed before the COVID-19 variants emerged.