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Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine could protect millions more Americans from contracting the coronavirus. The key will be assuring people that the single-shot vaccine is worth taking, as its overall efficacy appears lower than the two-dose ones already on the market in the U.S. J&J’s shot, which U.S. regulators authorized Saturday, is more convenient than the vaccines cleared by the Food and Drug Administration last year. It requires one injection and can be stored for months in a refrigerator. State health officials and the Biden administration see it as a way to quickly host mass clinics as more transmissible virus variants continue to spread. Yet the ease of distributing the vaccine will need to be balanced with the risk of creating the perception that J&J’s shot is an inferior option. (LaVito and Griffin, 3/1)

With a third COVID-19 vaccine soon to be available in Massachusetts, state officials and community leaders Monday sought to discourage residents from “shopping” for one brand over another, stressing that all are highly protective against serious disease from the coronavirus. The assurances stemmed from apparent concern the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a one-shot formula officials view as ideal for hard-to-reach populations, might be regarded as an inferior product — especially by marginalized communities distrustful of the health care system. (Weisman, 3/1)

And then there were three. There are now three Covid-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. All three will be distributed across the United States. Many people are wondering which Covid-19 vaccine they should get: Is one better for certain groups of people? (Hetter, 3/2)

The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans urged Catholics on Friday against taking a vaccine for COVID-19 manufactured by Johnson & Johnson because the vaccine is developed from stem cells obtained from two abortions. In a statement on the archdiocese's website, the organization argued that Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was "morally compromised." (Bowden, 3/1)