Dallas, Tarrant County Leaders To Use Thousands Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccines As Soon As Possible
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - More than a week after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was federally paused, a CDC advisory panel declared the shot safe.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has notified providers in the state that they should resume its use.
At vaccination sites in Dallas and Tarrant counties, North Texans can expect the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to make its debut, once again.
"It's a great option," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. "These are all three safe and effective vaccines, and we will be using all of them."
And though no Texas providers were allocated doses for the upcoming week, sites that already have them on hand can use them.
Dallas County has about 21,000, while Tarrant County has over 40,000.
"The vaccines are ready. It's just a matter of them figuring out the best way to do it and the best population to approach," said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley.
Due to the simplicity of the single dose, Dallas County plans to prioritize their hard-to-reach populations first but says the vaccine will likely be offered at their drive-up sites this coming week.
Both county leaders say if you prefer not to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there's other options.
"When we have Johnson & Johnson, we usually have the option of also giving the other two shot variants which are Moderna or Pfizer," said Jenkins.
In Dallas County, Jenkins says they'll likely have other brands on hand. But if not, there are designated days that the Fair Park site specifically offers Pfizer or Moderna.
The same can be said for Tarrant County's vaccination sites where you can choose your preference by location.
Before the pause, their Arlington hub was the only site offering Johnson & Johnson.
"Each one of our locations has tried to be all Pfizer or all Moderna or all Johnson & Johnson," Whitley said.
The state says reinstating the vaccine is an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. The CDC estimates continuing its usage will prevent about 1,400 deaths over the next six months.