Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine paused - Your questions answered

Update - Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause ends

On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration ended a 10-day pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. During this time, the CDC and FDA did additional review by medical experts. Find full information about the safety review from the FDA.

Read original post from April 13:

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On Tuesday, April 13, the Indiana Department of Health asked all state vaccine administration sites to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine after a request from federal health agencies.

Here are answers to your questions about the J&J vaccine pause.

Why has the U.S. called for a pause on the J&J COVID-19 vaccine?

The FDA and CDC have recommended the pause while they examine the vaccine’s safety. According to a joint statement, as of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving only six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

What should I do if I received the J&J COVID-19 vaccine?

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. Nearly 7 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the U.S. and only six recipients have reported this adverse reaction. However, serious health reactions should be reported. If you have received the J&J vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, contact your primary care provider. If you do not have any symptoms, no action is needed.

I have an appointment to receive the J&J vaccine at the IMS clinic. What should I do?

The IDOH announced Tuesday that all people scheduled for a vaccine at IMS on April 13 will receive the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and a second dose of Moderna will be scheduled. The IDOH is working with other clinics that were scheduled to use the J&J vaccine in the immediate future.

Visit ourshot.in.gov for updates.