The Michigan Governor defends the efficacy of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, saying she would get it herself if it were available when she qualifies for vaccination.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Gov. Gretchen WhitmerGretchen Whitmer Sunday Shows Preview: Manchin Makes Round After Central Role in Coronavirus Relief Debate FBI Informant Describes Plot Against Whitmer It’s Time to Break Down Bureaucratic Barriers to Healthcare Access MORE (D) responded to criticism from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (D), who said last Thursday that he had refused to accept more than 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Mayor Duggan is doing a phenomenal job in the city of Detroit,” she told CNN Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul Tapper Ex-Trump press secretary criticized for fueling QAnon on Twitter Maryland GOP governor says he would have voted to convict Trump Democratic senator defends decision not to call witnesses: ‘They wouldn’t vote more Republican get ‘MORE“He’s trying to do the best he can for the people he represents, and that’s what he always does.”
“I think recognizing that this J&J vaccine is another great resource in our arsenal is pretty much where they are now, and they are going to deploy them, too,” Whitmer continued.
Amid the news that Detriot Mayor Mike Duggan has turned down an assignment of Johnson & Johnson doses of coronavirus vaccines, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says, “I’m going to take any vaccine available to me when my category comes up” #CNNSOTU https://t.co/pv4iP729Qr pic.twitter.com/9VpqoJgcD3
– CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 7, 2021
When asked what she would say to a Detroit resident who questioned the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after Duggan said it wasn’t “ the best, ” referring to competing candidates from Moderna and Pfizer, the governor said she was would urge them to take everything. was available when eligible.
“Take that vaccine!” she said. “I’m going to take whatever vaccine is available to me when my category comes up.”
“They all have high efficacy, they are all incredibly safe, and the sooner we can get 70 percent of our population vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to some sort of normalcy,” she added.
The mayor claimed the city had sufficient vaccine doses to vaccinate all residents currently eligible.
“At this point, anyone in the city of Detroit who is eligible who wants a vaccine can get one,” Duggan said. “The day may come in March or April when all Moderna and Pfizer are committed, and we still have people who need a vaccine. And that’s when we’ll set up a Johnson & Johnson center. “
“Johnson & Johnson is a really good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best,” added the mayor. “And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Detroit residents get the best.”
The mayor later walked back on those comments, saying he would welcome the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.