“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is an important tool in our fight against COVID-19, and the scientific review over the last 11 days has affirmed its safety and effectiveness,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said in a news release. “We know some Texans prefer the simplicity of a single-dose vaccine, and the ease of storing and handling this vaccine gives providers more flexibility. Resuming the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will prevent hospitalizations and save lives in Texas.”
The CDC and FDA recommended U.S. providers pause the use of the J&J vaccine April 13 following reports of a rare and severe blood clot occurring in several vaccine recipients. The CDC and FDA conducted a safety review and found the risk of the clots to be "very low" with 15 out of the total 6.8 million people who had received a dose experiencing the clots, and the vaccine to be "safe and effective."
“Above all else, health and safety are at the forefront of our decisions,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Our vaccine safety systems are working. We identified exceptionally rare events—out of millions of doses of the Janssen COVID-19 administered—and we paused to examine them more carefully. As we always do, we will continue to watch all signals closely as more Americans are vaccinated."
J&J doses were absent from DSHS allocations this week, but more than 140,000 doses were included in the state's April 13 allocation when the nationwide pause went into effect, so some providers may have doses available.
