Colorado Doctor Thinks Johnson & Johnson's COVID Vaccine Could Be A 'Game Changer'

(CBS4) - More doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be available as the CDC has told providers not to hold back the second doses. And two more vaccines are in the pipeline for approval.

CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida spoke in an interview on CBSN Denver this week about where we stand on the vaccine's development. He says a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine offers about 50% protection, that number is 70% for the Moderna. And now AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have vaccinations that could soon be administered.

AstraZeneca's vaccine is already being administered in parts of Europe.

"It is an effective vaccine, a two dose vaccine," Hnida said. "It is inexpensive and very easy to produce. Those are very big pros in terms of that vaccine. ... The problem with it, though, is some of the data -- how much dosing to give has been a concern to regulators here in the United States."

Hnida said he believes more information is needed before it is given emergency use authorization here.

And he calls the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a possible game changer.

"First off, it is a one dose vaccine. One (shot) and you're done. It has a long shelf life. It can be administered after it sits in your state at an administration site for up to 3 months."

"It does not require a lot of special handling. So hopefully this is a vaccine that will get an emergency use authorization in early March, then will wind up being distributed to the states."