Texas now has three ways to protect against the coronavirus.
The new Johnson & Johnson vaccine has begun to arrive in Texas, and there's high hope the treatment can speed up the vaccination process.
Susan Cavazos didn't have such a great time with her coronavirus vaccination.
”The second time, it wasn't that awful but I got pretty sick. Couple of days.” she said.
It's better than COVID-19, but she, like many others, have great hope for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
More than 200,000 doses will go out statewide, with some landing in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District is awaiting word on how much it will get.
"We have a lot of people calling and asking when we're gonna get it, but overall we're just excited it's available,” explained Kelly Craine, of the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.
The arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been pretty universally celebrated. After all, why get two shots when one will do.
Despite the arrival of the one-shot vaccine, government leaders want to emphasize that the best vaccine for you is the one you can get.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine works in a different way compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but studies show all as highly effective.
”What you're doing is you're giving the body a picture of what the bad guy looks like, and the bad guy is the coronavirus, and the body says this is who we look out for,” Craine explained.
There's no data as to how much faster vaccinations might go, though experts agree it will go faster.
Hopefully it also gets us to the lives we knew before faster.
”I feel like I am one step closer to normal. That's what I am looking forward to and going out and having dinner with my wife,” said Steve Krein, who just got his vaccine.
"Maybe take a trip down to Houston and see friends we haven't seen in over a year," said Flo Bolden, who received her shot at a drive-thru site.
Cavazos has just one hope for the new vaccine.
”I hope younger people can start getting it. We've all got kids who can't get to younger brothers and sisters,” she said.
Cavazos says the most painful thing COVID-19 has taken away is her family, who she hopes to visit with soon.
