Charles’s vaccination story

This is the third in a series of stories from Union members about getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Thanks to Charles for sharing this story with us.

At the beginning of President Biden’s Administration, it was difficult for average Americans to sign up or receive the vaccine. In late January, Pfizer and Modern had similar two-dose regimen vaccines approved for distribution in the United States. Early testing shows that both COVID-19 vaccines have efficacy rates of 94–95% in preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms. Further, both vaccines are at least 97% effective against hospitalizations, severe and critical hospitalizations, and death.

In early February, Charles Perkins, an examiner at the CFPB, discovered a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial with Johnson and Johnson (J&J). Charles was aware that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was days away from issuing emergency use authorization for the one-dose J&J COVID-19 vaccine. Early testing of the one-dose vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 67% in preventing moderate to several/critical COVID-19 disease at 14 days, increasing up to 85% after 28 days. Further, initial testing showed the J&J one-dose vaccine was 100% effective in preventing death. Therefore, after taking into consideration that his opportunity to receive any vaccine might not occur until late May or early June of 2021, Charles decided to participate in the J&J two-dose regimen clinical trial. What this meant was that Charles would participate in a double-blind study (neither the patient or the doctor knows whether the patent is receiving the vaccine) and he would receive two shots of the J&J vaccine over a six-week period. The clinical trail doctors informed Charles that after the FDA approved the one-dose for emergency use, they would unblind the study, and any participants that received the placebo would then receive the actual vaccine.

On February 12, 2021, Charles received his first vaccine dose. On February 27, 2021, the FDA approved the J&J vaccine for emergency use. On March 29, 2021, J&J unblinded the study. Charles will receive his second dose on April 9, 2021. Therefore, at that time he will either receive his second shot of the vaccine and be fully vaccinated or receive his first shot of the actual vaccine. Either way, by the last week of April or the first week of May, Charles will be fully vaccinated! He is extreme happy for the opportunity to keep himself, and more importantly his friends and family, safe – or at least safer – from this deadly disease.