Nurse shares why she's waiting for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

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Sunday, February 28, 2021
Nurse waits for Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Cara Cunningham has been a nurse for 28 years. In that time, you can imagine she's seen a lot of needles.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Cara Cunningham has been a nurse for 28 years. In that time, you can imagine she's seen a lot of needles.

"I've seen a lot of them, and I still don't like them," Cunningham said.

She's held off on getting the COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible in the first group as a healthcare professional. It's not because she doesn't believe in vaccines though.

"When they said the first two shots were two shots, ugh fine," she said.

Cunningham didn't want to get stuck twice. When she heard about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, she decided to wait for it to become available.

RELATED: FDA advisers sign off on Johnson & Johnson vaccine: Here's what happens next

"Watching how they did this and how quickly they got it out," Cunningham continued. "Then they said J&J was going to be one, and I was like 'OK, I will definitely wait."

Cunningham said Johnson & Johnson got its vaccine out quicker than she anticipated. When the doses arrive in Texas, she plans to seek one out.

RELATED: Texas expects to get over 200,000 initial doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

She's not worried about the vaccine's efficacy rate, which is lower than Moderna's and Pfizer's rates.

"The 68% is good," Cunningham said. "I know that once we are vaccinated, herd immunity will take effect and we will be OK."

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The FDA is expected to quickly follow the recommendation and make J&J's shot the third vaccine authorized for emergency use in the U.S.
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