Bay Area health officials confident in all three available vaccines, so don't hold out

As vaccine eligibility expands to Millions Monday, experts warn of COVID surge

On Monday March 15th more than 4 million people will become eligible for the COVID vaccine. But as restrictions loosen, health experts warn of a COVID surge in coming weeks. Candese Charles reports.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Health officials around the Bay Area urge people not to hold out for a certain coronavirus vaccine, and get whichever is available.

Public health leaders representing the nine Bay Area counties and also Santa Cruz said the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are all highly effective in preventing severe illness and death.

"There has been much debate about the advantages of one brand of vaccine over the other, but it’s difficult to compare their efficacy," health experts said in a joint statement. "The vaccines have each been studied in slightly different groups of people and tested at different phases of the pandemic. The rates of community transmission and presence or absence of COVID-19 variants differed across studies."

SEE ALSO: California expands vaccine eligibility to another 4.4 million residents

They are certain the three vaccines can save lives and help slow the spread of the virus. The only way to move toward herd immunity is if people get inoculated.