SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diegans will once again be able to get the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after a panel of health authorities lifted the pause. The usage of the vaccine was halted after there were numerous reports of blood clots in women who received the vaccine weeks after their doses.
With the resumption of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, San Diego County is opening a new vaccine site at the University of San Diego. The site will run Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The county says it does not necessarily mean you will receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but the steady shipments of others and the resumption of Johnson & Johnson allow for more appointments to be available.
The county says women under the age of 50 should be aware of the increased risk of blood clots after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. According to the FDA, the benefits outweigh the risks. One doctor said that a way to avoid the side effect of blood clots is to opt for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine option. “If I was a young woman who is getting this vaccine and we know that this side effect is amplified in that demographic and we have two great alternatives that are not associated with this rare, but this very serious side effect I may lean towards those alternatives. So, what I'm telling my patients, in general, is that it is critically important to get vaccinated. If the only vaccine you can get is the Johnson & Johnson or you can't come back for that second shot, just get the Johnson & Johnson because the side effect risk is very low," said the doctor.
Currently, San Diego County has around 12,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. They say the doses will mostly be used for homebound people and agricultural workers because they are often harder to reach for a second dose so it will be seen more and walk-up and mobile vaccination sites.
Watch: What the pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine means for San Diego