Virginia Pauses Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

Woman receives vaccination. (Virginia Dept. of Health)

Statement from Virginia State Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula On Pause in Administration of Johnson and Johnson Vaccine

(Richmond, Va.) — We are closely monitoring the actions by the federal government to pause all Johnson & Johnson vaccinations while it investigates an extremely rare possible side effect. In Virginia, we will cease all Johnson & Johnson vaccines until this investigation is complete. If you have an upcoming appointment for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you will be contacted to reschedule that appointment.

This pause is reassuring in that it demonstrates that the systems that are in place to monitor vaccine safety are working. We look forward to a thorough review by federal health officials. Meantime, we will continue Virginia’s vaccine rollout at this time with the other two authorized vaccines, developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

Additional Info

Read more from the April 9, 2021 interview with Dr. Danny Avula in which talks about how Virginia was already expecting to receive less of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine than previously arranged, and how the state is slowing moving into Phase 2A.

Transcript_tele-pressAvula_040921

From Dr. Avula's April 9 media interview.