Florida to bring back J&J vaccine ‘as soon as possible’

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management announced Friday night its intention to resume distribution of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine “as soon as possible.”

“J & J Update: The state is planning to resume the use of the one-dose J & J vaccine as soon as possible. The state is reviewing the guidance issued by (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and is still determining what day the state will resume the use of the J & J vaccine.”

Expect further information “this weekend,” a follow-up tweet asserted.

“The state is prepared to continue supporting all current vaccination efforts & remains committed to ensuring all Floridians who want a vaccine, can get one.”

U.S. health officials lifted an 11-day pause on COVID-19 vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot on Friday, after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot, as the Associated Press reported.

Fifteen women suffered clotting. Three of them died, while seven remained hospitalized as of the latest AP report.

For Gov. Ron DeSantis, the federal decision to finally end the “pause” on the one-shot vaccine ends a period of frustration with Washington on the matter, in which he said public confidence in the vaccine “plunged.”

“We’re not helped in this regard by the behavior of some of these public health people, particularly in the federal government,” DeSantis said earlier this month. “How they handled the J&J, I think was a huge mistake.”

Days before that, the Governor offered support of the decision to suspend the vaccine, as six reported clots led to the pause.

“We have not seen any significant effects with J&J here in Florida,” DeSantis said. “I think the track record thus far in Florida has been good. At the same time, because CDC is doing that, you know, we’re respecting that decision, we’re gonna follow that recommendation and monitor what they’re doing for the time being. But I think that what they’re doing is that of an abundance of caution.”

Now the vaccine will be back, by all indications, and will be central to Florida’s strategy. The question now is will people be as eager to take it as they were previously, or will the issues with the “one-shot” vaccine lead to a surge in vaccine hesitancy.

(1/2) J & J Update: The state is planning to resume the use of the one-dose J & J vaccine as soon as possible. The state is reviewing the guidance issued by @CDCgov & @US_FDA and is still determining what day the state will resume the use of the J & J vaccine.

— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) April 24, 2021