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Colorado to receive 1-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week

The state is expecting to get about 45,500 doses in the first shipment of that COVID-19 vaccine.

COLORADO, USA — Less than a week after being granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the first shipment of Johnson and Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said it anticipates receiving an order of 45,500 vaccines by Friday, and they should be available to eligible Coloradans that same day at a number of community vaccination sites across the state.

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“We are thrilled to be able to distribute a third safe and effective vaccine in the
state of Colorado,” said Dr. Eric France, CDPHE's chief medical officer. “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.”

Janssen Pharmaceuticals is a Johnson & Johnson-owned pharmaceutical company headquartered in Beerse, Belgium.

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.

RELATED: Comparing Pfizer, Moderna and J&J shots isn't an apples-to-apples comparison

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. 

None of the currently authorized vaccines is currently recommended over any other, according to CDPHE. All three vaccines are safe and work well to prevent moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, CDPHE said.

RELATED: Vaccine guide: What to know about getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Colorado, and what happens next

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