Nevada Health Response issues statement on federal “pause” regarding use of Janssen vaccine

CARSON CITY - This morning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint statement regarding the use of the Janssen - also referred to as the J&J - COVID-19 vaccine. A pause in the use of the vaccine was recommended while reports of six serious reactions are investigated.

The State of Nevada is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Nevadans and will pause the use of the Janssen one-shot vaccine until the review is complete. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Nevada State Immunization Program are contacting providers to inform them of this announcement and working to avoid any disruption of planned vaccination clinics.

DHHS is working with local partners to contact anyone scheduled for a Janssen vaccine who may be affected by today’s announcement from the federal government. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines remain available for providers in Nevada and appointment slots are open across the State. Nevadans should watch for announcements from local health districts or providers for additional information as it becomes available.

Additionally, the Janssen product has been used on the two Mobile Vaccine Units (MVUs) that are traveling in Nevada’s rural and frontier regions. No clinics are planned for the MVUs today. Once additional information is available, the State will update Nevadans on the plans for the mobile units.

As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the Janssen vaccine have been administered in the United States.
Nevadans should be confident in this process and the work being done to ensure the vaccines are safe and effective. Based on information provided by the federal government, these are rare but serious reactions and will be thoroughly reviewed.
The CDC has stated that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on Wednesday to review the six cases.

People who have received the Janssen vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.