It’s the Midday Healthwatch with Dr. Leana Wen. 

Johnson and Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, which is being manufactured here in Baltimore, has been approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, adding an important weapon in the fight against the coronavirus.  Unlike the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, the J&J drug requires only one dose, so it’s much easier to administer.  The company is promising 100 million doses by June and a billion doses by the end of the year. 

Just under 14% of Marylanders have been inoculated against the virus as of today.  More than twice as many White people have been vaccinated than Black people.  Only about 4% of those vaccinated so far have been Latino.  

Today, Tom talks virus, variants and vaccines with Dr. Leana Wen, who is an emergency physician and a visiting public health professor at George Washington University. She is also a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and an on-air commentator and medical analyst for CNN. Previously, she served as Baltimore's Health Commissioner.  She joins us on Skype.

It&rsquo;s the&nbsp;Midday Healthwatch&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://drleanawen.com/" data-cke-saved-href="https://drleanawen.com/">Dr. Leana Wen</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.jnj.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=GO-USA-ENG-PS-Corporate%20Equity-BC-PH-RN-BRAND_GENERAL&amp;utm_content=J&amp;J%20-%20General%20-%20P&amp;utm_term=johnson%20and%20johnson&amp;ds_rl=1262818&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAvvKBBhCXARIsACTePW9H63-5d1wn8UErAuZUmM6gHNwrjhw5GyaoAZHIIs8lgJXltJCR_JYaAmFMEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.jnj.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=GO-USA-ENG-PS-Corporate%20Equity-BC-PH-RN-BRAND_GENERAL&amp;utm_content=J&amp;J%20-%20General%20-%20P&amp;utm_term=johnson%20and%20johnson&amp;ds_rl=1262818&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAvvKBBhCXARIsACTePW9H63-5d1wn8UErAuZUmM6gHNwrjhw5GyaoAZHIIs8lgJXltJCR_JYaAmFMEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">Johnson and Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine</a>, which is being manufactured here in Baltimore, has been approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, adding an important weapon in the fight against the coronavirus.&nbsp; Unlike the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, the J&amp;J drug requires only one dose, so it&rsquo;s much easier to administer.&nbsp; The company is promising 100 million doses by June and a billion doses by the end of the year.&nbsp;
Just under 14% of Marylanders have been inoculated against the virus as of today.&nbsp; More than twice as many White people have been vaccinated than Black people.&nbsp; Only about 4% of those vaccinated so far have been Latino.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Today, Tom talks virus, variants and vaccines with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/DrLeanaWen" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/DrLeanaWen">Dr. Leana Wen</a>,&nbsp;who is&nbsp;an emergency physician and a visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/health-policy-and-management/leana-wen-md-msc_faaem" data-cke-saved-href="https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/health-policy-and-management/leana-wen-md-msc_faaem">public health professor</a>&nbsp;at George Washington University. She is also a contributing columnist for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/leana-s-wen/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/leana-s-wen/">The Washington Post&nbsp;</a>and an on-air commentator and medical analyst for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-safety-tips-orig-ff.cnn/video/playlists/coronavirus/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-safety-tips-orig-ff.cnn/video/playlists/coronavirus/">CNN</a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-safety-tips-orig-ff.cnn/video/playlists/coronavirus/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-safety-tips-orig-ff.cnn/video/playlists/coronavirus/">.</a>&nbsp;Previously, she served as Baltimore's Health Commissioner.&nbsp; She joins us on&nbsp;Skype.

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine. We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at midday@wypr.org

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine. We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at <a href="mailto:midday@wypr.org">midday@wypr.org</a>

Midday

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine.  We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at midday@wypr.org.

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