Following a recommendation from the FDA and the CDC, the Louisiana Department of Health announced Tuesday it would "temporarily pause" use of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.
The pause come amid concerns about rare blood clots that occurred in six women in the U.S. who received the one-dose vaccine.
“Today’s pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is out of an abundance of caution. This morning, I had a call with White House officials and other governors to discuss this issue as we work to safely get as many Louisianans 16 and older vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible. While I understand that this news may be concerning, I remain committed to working alongside public health experts to make sure people can get the answers they need to make an informed decision,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
“While this news is frustrating and concerning, we appreciate the FDA acting with abundant caution and transparency,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer. “We do not yet know whether these reported cases of blood clotting were caused by the vaccine. The State of Louisiana takes vaccine safety very seriously, and this temporary pause should give the public and providers confidence the system of monitoring and safety checks are working as intended.”
The state will continue use of the Pfizer and Moderna-manufactured vaccines, which do not have similar blood-clot concerns.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said the FDA and CDC want more time to review the data and noted the pause in use of the J&J vaccine could last only a matter of days.