TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is coming to Tallahassee. In just under a day, people in the Southside will be just one shot away from being protected from COVID-19.
Jacob Chapel Baptist will be the first place of worship where people in Tallahassee will have the opportunity to get the J&J vaccine. Rev. O. Jermaine Simmons telling his story in hopes of getting more people vaccinated in the Big Bend.
"I myself have been vaccinated and am encouraging everyone I love to talk to God about it, talk to your doctor about it, then make an informed decision," said Simmons.
The Jacob Chapel Baptist Church Pastor is leading the state-funded effort Friday to get people vaccinated with the Johnson and Johnson one-shot vaccine. It's access that's needed the most for minorities. In all, 60,011 people in Leon County have been vaccinated. Only 8,125 (about 13 percent) of those are African-American.
"For us, it's been a part of our outreach to the community," said Simmons. "Not only is it a matter of public health but also social justice because we know our community has been adversely affected by this pandemic"
Registration is open to all frontline workers, teachers and law enforcement over 50 and seniors over 60. When it comes to how this vaccine is compared to the others, Bond Community Health Pharmacist Daiquaun Harrison said there are some differences people should know, besides only needing one dose.
"Moderna and Pfizer use MRNA technology to send the message to the body and the immune system while Johnson and Johnson uses more traditional technology, similar to the flu vaccine," said Harrison.
The effectiveness of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is lower starting at 65 percent, compared to Pfizer at 95 percent and Moderna at 94 percent. Although, the risk of severe illness is comparable.
There are still appointments open. If you'd like to register, call (850) 574-3150. The clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
