Covid vaccine may protect people against delta variant – US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy told CNBC on Wednesday that there may be hope that people who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may be protected against the delta variant of the virus.
Murthy pointed to data showing that the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot was highly effective against hospitalizations. He also said that people should think of the AstraZeneca vaccine “as a cousin” to J&J’s shot because it was “made on a similar platform.”
Covid vaccine may protect people against delta variant
“While we’re still waiting for direct studies from Johnson & Johnson and the Delta version, we have reasons to be hopeful, because the J&J vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths, those With all the types that we’ve seen to date,” Murthy told “The News with Shepard Smith.”
World Health Organization officials urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and other pandemic-related safety measures as the delta variant spreads around the world.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday that it is leaving it up to states and local health officials to set guidelines about wearing masks.
Murthy said the CDC’s guidance is based on giving people resilience.
“The CDC, in its guidance, was, essentially, giving people flexibility and choices, but wanted people to know that, if you’re fully vaccinated, there’s a risk of getting this virus or passing it on. The risk is low, which is why masks are not needed indoors or outdoors, if you have been fully vaccinated,” Murthy said.
Authorized vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNtech and Johnson & Johnson have demonstrated to be highly effective in preventing COVID, particularly against serious illness and death.
