Coronavirus Vaccine Updates: Johnson & Johnson to test their single-dose shot on children, newborns, pregnant women

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Johnson & Johnson says they'll soon test their single-dose shot on children, even newborns, and pregnant women.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging Americans to take whatever vaccine is available.

"The quicker you get vaccinated, the more quickly you will be protected, and you will add on to the overall protection in your county, in your country," he said.

But some experts do say we're still a long way from normalcy.

"We're not able to vaccinate 80% of the country quite yet," Dr. Imran Ali said. "And so by April, we'll still be a ways off."

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Here are more of today's headlines:

WHO official says it's 'unrealistic' to think COVID-19 pandemic will end soon

A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was "premature" and "unrealistic" to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death.

The world's singular focus right now should be to keep transmission of COVID-19 as low as possible, said Dr. Michael Ryan, director of WHO's emergencies program.

Here's when the US will see a lot more COVID-19 vaccine doses

Millions more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way. Moderna, Pfizer and now Johnson & Johnson will deliver enough doses to fully vaccinate 130 million people -- more than one-third of the US population -- by the end of March, the pharmaceutical companies told a House subcommittee last week:

-Moderna plans to deliver 100 million doses by the end of the month, said Dr. Stephen Hoge, the company's president. It'll deliver another 100 million by the end of May and 100 million more by the end of July.

-Pfizer will deliver 120 million doses by the end of the month, 80 million more doses by the end of May and 100 million more by the end of July, said chief business officer John Young.

-Johnson & Johnson, whose single-dose vaccine was approved just last week, will deliver 20 million doses by the end of March and aims to deliver 100 million by July, said Dr. Richard Nettles, vice president of US Medical Affairs at the company's vaccine arm, Janssen.

Several NJ MVC centers close due to COVID cases

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission announced Monday that the Newark Regional, Vineland, Salem, and Lodi Licensing Centers are closed due to a single employee testing positive for COVID-19 at each location. Newark Regional Licensing Center will be closed until Wednesday, March 10. The employee who tested positive was last in the agency on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Vineland, Salem, and Lodi Licensing Centers will be closed until Monday, March 15. The single employee who tested positive at each of these locations was last in the agency on Saturday, Feb. 27.

Connecticut will announce plans for 'a cautious reopening'

Gov. Ned Lamont said he will announce plans on Thursday for "a cautious reopening" of stores, restaurant, retail and personal services in the state.

Lamont will also announce changes to the state's travel advisory. "We'll be opening up the travel a little bit more," he said.

Lamont defended the state's age-based vaccine roll out, citing its high vaccination rates. Connecticut is in the top five of states nationally for percent of population vaccinated.

On one-year anniversary, doctor recalls state's 1st COVID-19 case

Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New York, and it comes as the first doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine are shipped out. The first coronavirus victim identified in the state was a 39-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Iran. And the doctor who made the first diagnosis was Dr. Angela Chen, an emergency room physician at Mount Sinai Hospital.

"I looked at my nurse at the time, and said, 'I think this could be it,'" she said. "We really took every measure We checked ourselves, went through the donning and doffing of PPE, and said, you know, we better hope we get this right."

Mayor Bill de Blasio says some state-run sites not vaccinating enough city residents

Mayor de Blasio says the city is closing in on two million vaccinations, but he took another opportunity to jab Governor Andrew Cuomo saying his big state-run sites like the Javits Center are not effectively getting the vaccine where it needs to go. It's been found at the Javits Center that 42% of doses are going to non-city residents. At the Aqueduct Racetrack, 75% of doses have been going to non-city residents. The mayor said with limited supply, he prefers sites like Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, which are open to those borough's respective residents only, but still, he said that the rollout is working.

Kids are hitting a pandemic wall

After almost a full year of grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including nearly nine months of virtual school, 11-year-old London Loree simply has had enough. Enough of Zoom classes and technology fails. Enough of social distancing. Enough of all of it. Her focus is waning. School, something she loves, has become a drag. Mental health struggles for children remain a concern. Loree could be the poster child for many kids these days. Across time zones, age groups and socioeconomic lines, young people appear to be hitting a breaking point that developmental psychologists are calling the "pandemic wall."

Teachers, transportation workers in NJ to be eligible for vaccine this month

New Jersey is expanding its vaccine eligibility this month, and starting March 15, the following workers will be eligible to get vaccinated:

- Pre-K through 12 educators and support staff

- Child care workers in licensed and registered settings

- Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, rideshare, airport employees, NJ Transit workers and Motor Vehicle Commissioner staff

- All public safety personnel who are not sworn law enforcement or fire professionals

- Migrant farm workers

- Members of tribal communities

- Individuals experiencing homelessness and those living in shelter, including domestic violence shelters

Starting March 29, the following workers will be eligible to get vaccinated:

- Food production, agriculture and food distribution

- Eldercare and support

- Warehousing and logistics

- Social services support staff

- Elections personnel

- Hospitality

- Medical supply chain

- Postal and shipping services

- Clergy

- Judicial system

3rd stimulus check updates: What to expect from Senate COVID relief negotiations this week

The Senate could move as soon as this week to pass their own version of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. That plan will, of course, look a little different than the House bill as it won't include the $15 an hour minimum wage. It also is not going to include the so-called Plan B drafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden that would have penalized corporations that didn't increase wages on their own. That plan faced pushback in the Democratic caucus. It's a complicated provision. How do you select which companies qualify? How do you determine what the wage should be? Is it $15 or is it less to win support from people like Sen. Joe Manchin, the moderate Democrat from West Virginia? Those questions would have taken awhile to answer.

Health care workers pinned as heroes on anniversary of 1st NY COVID case

Long Island health care workers were honored Monday on the one-year anniversary of the first documented coronavirus case in New York state. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino acknowledged the brave health care professionals of Plainview and Syosset Hospitals by presenting them with 2020 hero pins. During the first surge last spring, Northwell Health workers treated more than 70,000 COVID-19 patients across the system. Plainview and Syosset Hospitals, two community hospitals that were hard hit with COVID cases, agreed to take on patients from other Northwell hospitals that were facing patient surge capacity.

"Dedicated health care workers at Plainview and Syosset faced the deadly virus every day," officials said. "Several staff members contracted the disease and bravely returned to work as soon as possible after their recovery."

Johnson & Johnson vaccine: How it's different

The United States is poised to get a third coronavirus vaccine -- this one made by Johnson & Johnson. The US Food and Drug Administration has given the vaccine emergency use authorization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended it, and the federal government is scheduled to start distribution almost immediately. Two vaccines are already being distributed in the US -- one made by Moderna and another made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The new vaccine, made by Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine division, is a little different. Here's how.

NYC 'Open Culture' program begins Monday

New York City's Open Culture program, which permits outdoor cultural performances on designated city streets, kicks off Monday. Open Culture will provide stages for artists and cultural groups in all five boroughs, putting artists back to work and providing New Yorkers the opportunity to enjoy the arts safely in their neighborhoods.

"Arts, culture, and live events are the heart of New York City. Today, we're bringing them back," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "From Open Streets to Open Restaurants to Open Culture, New York City has found creative and sustainable ways to connect New Yorkers to their neighborhoods while staying safe from COVID-19. I'm honored to support the cultural institutions who make our city great, and I can't wait to see our creative community in action."

When did you realize the COVID pandemic changed everything?

Many of us had a moment, most often occurring in March 2020, when we realized that COVID-19 had completely changed our lives forever. Even though we've managed to move forward and adapt to a new normal, that memory still sticks with us. Tell us: What was that moment to you?

Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered

You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.

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