COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) released the following statement concerning Tuesday morning’s federal announcement about the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine:
South Carolina public health officials received word this morning, like many throughout the nation and the state, that the CDC and FDA have recommended immediately pausing use of the Janssen vaccine due to concerns with blood clotting. DHEC says the top priority is protecting the health and safety of the public. This pause is evidence of very close safety monitoring as part of the strict quality assurance that is in place to ensure patient safety.
DHEC has placed an immediate pause on Janssen distribution and has contacted providers to alert them of this new development, In addition, DHEC is currently in the process of rescheduling or changing planned vaccine types for events that were going to use Janssen.
This may impact the current supply of vaccines across the state and more information from the federal government may be forthcoming. South Carolina, like most states, had been receiving a small amount of Janssen vaccine from the federal government — about 7,000 doses a week — compared to the more than 40,000 doses each of Pfizer and Moderna. Millions of people in the United States have received doses of vaccines with very little side effects.
South Carolinians are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to best protect themselves and others.