Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Pause

April 21, 2021

medical professional administering a vaccine to an older woman

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Pause

The use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine is paused for now. This is because the safety systems that make sure vaccines are safe received a small number of reports of people who got this vaccine experiencing a rare and severe type of blood clot with low platelets.

If you got this vaccine more than three weeks ago, your risk of developing a blood clot with low platelets is very low.

If you got this vaccine within the last three weeks, your risk of developing a blood clot with low platelets is also very low. However, you should be on the lookout for possible symptoms of a blood clot with low platelets:

severe headache
backache
blurred vision
fainting
seizures
severe pain in your abdomen or stomach
severe pain in your chest
leg swelling
shortness of breath
tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae)
new or easy bruising or bleeding

If you notice any of these symptoms, seek medical care right away.

If you have an appointment to get the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, work with your vaccine provider to reschedule your appointment to receive another authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccine, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

Learn more about the pause in use of the J&J/Janssen Vaccine.

What is a Blood Clot?

A blood clot is a mass of blood that forms when platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood stick together. Blood clots can form in, or travel to, the blood vessels in the limbs, lungs, brain, heart, and kidneys. The types of problems blood clots can cause will depend on where they are:

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. It can block a vein and cause damage to your leg.
A pulmonary embolism can happen when a DVT breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. It can damage your lungs.and prevent your other organs from getting enough oxygen.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare blood clot in the venous sinuses in your brain. Normally the venous sinuses drain blood from your brain. CVST blocks the blood from draining and can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
Blood clots in other parts of the body can cause problems such as an ischemic stroke, a heart attack, kidney problems, kidney failure, and pregnancy-related problems.

Find out who is at risk of developing blood clots, symptoms, and treatments.

April 24th is Prescription Take Back Day

Do you have expired drugs or medications that you no longer use? Your medicine is for you. What’s safe for you might be harmful for someone else. The best way to dispose of your expired, unwanted, or unused medicines is through a drug take back program. Learn more about where you can dispose of medication you no longer use or how to do it at home.

What is a TSH Test?

A TSH test is a blood test that measures the thyroid stimulating hormone. Your thyroid makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy, regulates your weight, body temperature, muscle strength, and even your mood. TSH levels that are too high or too low can indicate that your thyroid isn’t working correctly. Thyroid tests help health care professionals diagnose thyroid conditions such as:

hyperthyroidism – thyroid hormone levels are too high
Graves’ disease – the most common cause of hyperthyroidism
hypothyroidism – thyroid hormones levels are too low
Hashimoto’s disease – of the most common cause of hypothyroidism
thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. They can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods, dietary supplements, and beauty products. A great deal of research has been done on probiotics, but much remains to be learned about whether they’re helpful and safe for various health conditions. Read more about the conditions for which they’ve been studied, how they work, and how they are regulated.