CALIFORNIA, USA — California received approval to continue administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup completed its review of the treatment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put an 11-day pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after recipients developed a highly unusual kind of blood clot after being given the shot. The FDA lifted its pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Friday.
The FDA decided the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is critical to fighting the pandemic and the small clot risk could be handled with warnings to help younger women decide if they want the treatment.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the pause meant the vaccine safety systems are working to identify rare events out of millions of doses.
The workgroup recommended to states that vaccine information fact sheets be available in multiple languages at an accessible reading level so health care providers could better inform those who want the shot.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California would resume administering the vaccine immediately.
"Grateful to count myself one of the 1 million Californians to receive this safe, effective vaccine," Newsom said.
Washington, Oregon and Nevada also were approved to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said the benefits of the one-shot vaccine outweigh the risks.
"As one of many Nevadans who gladly took this vaccine when it was offered to me, I look forward to resuming the use of the vaccine in our State, along with the Moderna and Pfizer products," Sisolak said.
