NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — U.S. health officials have lifted an 11-day pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccinations following a recommendation by an expert panel.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend resuming the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Advisers said the benefits of the single-dose vaccine outweigh a rare risk of blood clots.
The Tennessee Department of Health announced that it is working to inform COVID-19 vaccine providers across the state of the new recommendation so that they may resume the administration of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine as soon as possible.
While the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine is in short supply, most vaccine providers in Tennessee continue to have an abundant supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, according to TDH officials.
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The ACIP's original recommendation from February 27, 2021 remains in place: “The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for persons 18 years of age and older in the U.S. population under FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization.”
“The independent review process conducted by ACIP further shows the amount of scrutiny and review that goes into ensuring the safety of all vaccines used in this country, including those that protect against COVID-19,” Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP said in a press release. “The CDC and FDA took a necessary pause in the administration of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the ACIP has done its diligence to confidently recommend that the country resume its use of the vaccine. We’re excited to get this third vaccine option back into use in Tennessee.”
Women between the ages of 18 and 49 years should weigh the risk of the vaccine with its benefits when deciding to receive the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine versus the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which have not been associated with this rare blood clotting disorder.
