On April 13, 2021, CDC and FDA recommended a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. Of the nearly 7 million doses administered so far in the United States, a small number of reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot have been reported in people after receiving the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. All reports occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. As of April 13, 2021, of the more than 180 million doses administered so far of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, no reports matching those associated with the J&J/Janssen vaccine have been received.
J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Update, April 13, 2021
The use of this vaccine is ‘paused’ for now. This is because the safety systems that make sure vaccines are safe received a small number of reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot happening in people who got this vaccine.
We do not know enough yet to say if the vaccine is related to or caused this health issue. To be extra careful, CDC and FDA recommend that the vaccine not be given until we learn more.
If you got this vaccine, seek medical care urgently if you develop any of the following symptoms:
- severe headache,
- backache,
- new neurologic symptoms,
- severe abdominal pain,
- shortness of breath,
- leg swelling,
- tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae), or
- new or easy bruising
Here is what we know now: scientists and doctors always look carefully at all reported side effects.
From their review, they saw a small number of cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in people who got the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. All reported cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48, and the problems were found up to two weeks after vaccination.
- If you got this vaccine more than three weeks ago, your risk of developing a blood clot is very low.
- If you got this vaccine within the last three weeks, your risk of developing a blood clot is also very low. However, you should be on the lookout for possible symptoms of a blood clot:
- Severe headache
- Blurred vision
- Fainting
- Seizures
- Pain in your abdomen (chest or stomach)
- Leg pain or swelling
- Shortness of breath
Get medical care right away if you have any of these symptoms and got the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine within the last few weeks.If you have any questions at all, call your doctor, nurse, or clinic.
