Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) - COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Milwaukee VA will resume offering the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years and older, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance, following a 10-day pause recommended by the CDC and FDA after a very small number of people who received the vaccine experienced rare but serious blood clots.

After careful review and evaluation, the FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe for use and effective in preventing COVID-19. The available data show that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks and the chance of blood clots occurring following its administration is very low. Anyone who is offered the J&J vaccine from VA will receive information about the potential risks and benefits of the vaccine, including the rare risk of blood clots and will be made aware of alternative vaccine options. The primary goal of COVID-19 vaccination is to protect those we serve from COVID-19, and VA’s priority remains the safety of all those receiving vaccine from VA, including Veterans, their spouses, caregivers, employees and federal partners.

Click the following links for the FDA’s updated fact sheets on Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for recipients and caregivers or for healthcare providers administering vaccine.

Milwaukee VA Medical Center

Vaccine safety

The U.S. vaccine safety system ensures that all vaccines are as safe as possible. Safety is a top priority as federal partners work to make COVID-19 vaccines available.

Before the FDA authorizes a vaccine for use, they carefully review the available safety data and clinical trial results for that vaccine. To learn more about the safety of the 3 authorized COVID-19 vaccines, read the FDA fact sheets in English and other languages.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets:

FDA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet (PDF)

FDA Pfizer-BioNTech fact sheets in more languages

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets:

FDA Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet (PDF)

FDA Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets in more languages

Janssen COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet:

FDA Janssen COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet (PDF)

We’ll closely monitor everyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccine for reactions, side effects, or adverse events. An adverse event is an injury or harm that happens to someone after they receive a vaccine, which may or may not have been caused by the vaccine.

We’ll report this information in our vaccine monitoring and tracking system. This is the same system we use to monitor reactions to all vaccines, including those for the flu and shingles.

Protect Everyone

As always, if you have already expressed your interest in receiving the vaccine, there is no need to share again, but if you previously expressed “no interest” or have yet to connect with your health care team about your decision, you can always call your health care team and let them know your decision on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

You can securely message your health care team using MyHealtheVet at www.myhealth.va.gov or connect with your health care team by calling your clinic.

Your health and safety remain our top priority. Know that our nurses are always available 24 hours a day to speak with you about any health concerns. To reach them, please call 1-888-469-6614.

Have questions about VA enrollment and eligibility?

Visit https://www.va.gov/health-care call 877-222-8387