Colorado received its first allotment of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine last week. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Janssen vaccine on Feb. 27. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) anticipates receiving an order of 45,500 Janssen vaccines by Friday, March 5. The state treats all orders as estimates until it receives the doses. The Janssen vaccine will be available to eligible Coloradans at a number of community vaccination sites across the state.   

“We are thrilled to be able to distribute a third safe and effective vaccine in the state of Colorado,” said Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer, Colorado Department Public Health Environment. “The authorization of the Janssen vaccine will make it easier for the state to reach its vaccination goals as more people become eligible in the weeks to come. When it’s your turn to get a vaccine – whether it’s Moderna, Pfizer, or Janssen – I hope you choose to get it. With every dose administered, we are all safer and closer to ending this crisis.” 

The FDA’s authorization comes after a series of clinical trials showing that the Janssen vaccine is safe and effective. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which each require two doses, the Janssen vaccine requires only one dose. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both mRNA vaccines, while the Janssen vaccine is a modified adenovirus vaccine, which means it uses a different delivery system to train the immune system to fight COVID-19. Modified adenovirus DNA vaccines, like the Janssen vaccine, use a piece of double-stranded DNA to teach your body how to fight COVID-19. mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, use single-stranded mRNA. The goal of every vaccine is the same – they just use a different strategy to achieve that goal. 

None of the currently authorized vaccines is currently recommended over any other. All three vaccines are safe and work well to prevent moderate to severe COVID-19 disease. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit CDPHE’s vaccine webpage. Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.