UNION CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A couple hundred seniors were among the first New Jersey residents to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Friday in Union City . Many of the residents CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge met had been worrying about how to use a computer to book an appointment, or even how to physically get there. So health officials brought the vaccine to them — right in their own apartment building. Since the Johnson & Johnson shot only requires one dose, they are now fully vaccinated. Gov. Phil Murphy met health officials and watched as Anna Maria Flores received her vaccine. She said she feels safer and relieved. She was one of 400 seniors at the Union Plaza apartments getting the single-dose shot Friday morning. The building was chosen because a large majority of the seniors who live there have disabilities, and the single-dose is much more accessible. There have been questions surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s overall efficacy not being as high as Moderna and Pfizer , but health officials say it has its advantages . It’s easier to transport and store, and you don’t have to worry about booking a second shot. Officials say that makes it more effective in the more vulnerable or hard to reach communities. “That’s terrific, because you never know what could happen in six weeks, four weeks or whatever. That’s just terrific,” one woman said. “This vaccine was tested in the teeth of the raging virus, including a significant amount of the trial in South America, Brazil specifically, and South Africa,” Murphy said. “One-hundred percent effective against hospitalizations and death, thank God, 85% effective against severe illness.” The governor stressed the sooner people get shots, the better change of keeping people out of hospitals and preventing variants from spreading.
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New Jersey Health Officials Bring State’s First Doses Of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine To Union City Senior Complex