Johnson and Johnson vaccine distribution still paused in Mississippi

On April 23^rd, the CDC and FDA lifted the Johnson and Johnson pause and COVID-19 vaccines could resume. However, in Mississippi, the pause remains.

On April 13^th, the CDC and FDA recommended the pause across the country after reports of blood clots in patients. The CDC and FDA lifted the pause, ruling the vaccine benefits outweigh the known risks, but women under 50 years old should be aware of the rare, but increased risk.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has not resumed the use of the Johnson and Johnson Vaccine, they feel more tests and data need to be collected. Singing River System Wide Director of Primary Care Jason Ely said, “Each state is still looking at all the data and just making sure that they don’t, we’re not the first ones just to jump on something that’s still being questioned. Before you offer something to the public you want to make sure that everybody is still on the same page and that the fear factor is out of everything and I think that’s what the whole key is, a lot of the fear factor that’s in people. They want that to settle down a little bit.”

Indiana, New York, Virginia, Missouri, and Michigan are the only states now administering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after the 11-day temporary pause.