CDC Recommends Resuming Use Of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
(CBSDFW.COM) - The pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine should soon be lifted.
A panel of federal advisors voted Friday afternoon to recommend resuming its use, despite a very small risk for blood clots.
The move still has to be approved by the FDA and CDC.
Experts don't expect the decision to have too much of an impact in Texas, where demand for the vaccine is down.
So far, Texas has administered more than 16.6 million doses, but vaccination has slowed.
Concern about the rare clotting issue with the J&J shot could be a factor.
"We think of it as very rare, but it's not very rare when it's your mother, your daughter, your wife," said Dr. Diana Cervantes, an epidemiologist at UNT Health Science Center.
The CDC now says there are 15 confirmed reports of blood clots following the J&J vaccine, out of the nearly 8 million doses administered in the U.S.
All of these cases involved women, and three were fatal.
"You want to make sure people have that information, and I think it will have some impact," Dr. Cervantes said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also believes it's critical to make sure the vaccine is more accessible for people who aren't going to go too far out of their way to get it.
"That means continuing the shift from the mass vaccination sites to regular providers like doctor's offices and pharmacies," said Dr. Imelda Garcia, the associate commissioner of laboratory and infectious disease services at DSHS.
Several COVID-19 variants are circulating in Texas right now, which state health officials say should create a sense of urgency for people who haven't gotten a shot yet.
"If we're going to end this pandemic in Texas, getting as many Texans as possible vaccinated is going to play a huge role in that," said Chief State Epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Shuford.