On April 23, the CDC announced that the pause on the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Covid-19 vaccine would be lifted after being in place for ten days. The vaccine labels will be updated to include the risk of severe blood clots.
Johnson and Johnson pause
On April 13, the FDA and CDC announced that a pause would be placed on the disbursement of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after six women were diagnosed with both thrombocytopenia (low levels of blood platelets) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST, a severe form of blood clot).
“Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” the FDA said on April 13. “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously.”
When the pause was announced, over seven million people in the United States had received the vaccine. College campuses across the nation, including Wright State University (WSU), were issuing the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in an effort to boost the vaccination rate among college students.
“Student Health Services and Wright State Physicians have paused the administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine based on a recommendation from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” WSU Physicians said in a public message on April 13.
Pause lifting
After nearly two weeks of CDC and FDA joint effort to determine how to handle the Johnson and Johnson vaccine risks, the CDC announced on April 23 that the pause would be lifted, and vaccine bottle labels would be updated.
“We have concluded that the known and potential benefits of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement to CNN.
Johnson and Johnson vaccine clinics are able to resume as early as April 24. It is unknown at this time when WSU Physicians will resume providing the vaccine.
WSU Physicians offers the Moderna vaccine through April 30.
