Vaccines

Is J&J safe?

Alyssa Bernanke, BA
Published: January 13, 2022

Why did the FDA temporarily stop the Johnson and Johnson vaccine?

You may have heard reports that the FDA briefly halted administration of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine in April, 2021. This was due to a concern of an extremely rare side effect known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). TTS causes blood clots that can be fatal. 

So far, there have been 54 confirmed cases of TTS, including 8 deaths, related to the J&J vaccine. There are no other confirmed deaths related to the J&J vaccine. 

According to the CDC, as of November 24, more than 16.4 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given. The CDC recently updated its guidelines to encourage use of mRNA vaccines over J&J. However, the J&J vaccine will still be available.

So is it safe to get the J&J vaccine?

Yes! While the CDC prefers Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, any vaccine is better than no vaccine. J&J is still available and an effective way to protect yourself against COVID-19. 

TTS is more common in younger women under the age of 50. If you are in this age group, it is important to know and watch out for symptoms of TTS, including:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe headaches
  • Blurred vision
  • Chest pain
  • Leg swelling
  • Persistent abdominal pain
  • Easy bruising
  • Tiny blood spots under the skin

But while it’s important to know these symptoms, your risk of developing TTS is far, far less than the risks that are associated with getting sick with COVID-19. 

Last update: January 11, 2022, 10:59 pm ET

Science review: BSL, HAY, ERS