What to Know as the J&J Vaccine Resumes

UnityPoint Health is administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine again after the FDA and CDC lifted their recommended pause. The agencies briefly paused use of the vaccine due to a small number of a very rare type of blood clot. For context, this incident occurred in 15 people out of nearly 8 million doses administered to date.

The vaccine is approved for continued use, but a warning about the small risk of blood clots for women 18-49 was added to the EUA Fact Sheet. Regulators always investigate anything unexpected that occurs with new vaccines. The extreme caution is part of the normal process to keep everyone safe. The vast majority of those who received the vaccine experienced zero or only mild side effects (headache, feeling tired, muscle aches, nausea and fever). In this case, there’s no cause for alarm.

However, if you or someone you know received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the past three weeks and experience any of these symptoms, contact your care team.

• Severe headache
• Abdominal pain
• Leg pain
• Shortness of breath

If you have more questions, reach out to your care team. It’s important to schedule a vaccine appointment as soon as you can to protect yourself and your community. For more information on scheduling near you, visit our COVID-19 vaccine information page.