Harris County will receive 12,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The doses will be delivered to the FEMA-funded vaccine mega site at NRG Park Tuesday, but not necessarily administered there, according to Harris County Public Health. City and county health offiicals haven’t yet specified where the Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be administered.
This is now the third COVID-19 vaccine that will be available to Houstonians.
Houston’s Health Authority, Dr. David Persse, said although the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doesn’t match the effectiveness of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, it’s still a “very, very effective vaccine.”
”Let’s not get our standards messed up,” he said. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is an excellent vaccine, and if you can get it, you should.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the best option for people with transportation issues since it’s a single dose, compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses.
The other two FEMA vaccine sites in Texas — located in Dallas and Arlington — are scheduled to each receive 6,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses this week, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The state is set to receive more than 200,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines next week.