Loudoun County Vaccine Update: J&J To Resume After Pause

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The Loudoun County Health Department will begin to use the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine at a clinic on Saturday, May 1.

Earlier this month, the FDA and CDC recommended that healthcare providers stop administering the J&J vaccine due to concerns about rare blood clots. 15 of the almost 7 million people who received the J&J vaccine reported a blood clot disorder.

This week, the government recommended that health districts resume their use of the J&J vaccine, but with an updated warning about the rare blood clots. In a joint announcement, the FDA and CDC noted that "the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks."

Dr. David Goodfriend is the health director in Loudoun County. "Safety has always been our top priority," he said in a news release. "And the pause in the use of the J&J vaccine allowed public health experts time to more carefully examine any concerns and to gain confidence that the vaccine is safe and effective."

See also: Virginia COVID-19: Lowest One-Day Case Rise Since Early October

Now, more than 96,000 people are fully vaccinated in Loudoun County. 23.4 per cent of the county's population have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the county's vaccine data.

Loudoun County has now exhausted its vaccine waitlist. Residents who submit a registration form will be contacted to schedule a vaccine appointment within a week, the health department said.

Residents can submit a preregistration form online. People without internet access can call 1-877-829-4682 to preregister.

To receive a vaccine from a local pharmacy, residents can use the national VaccineFinder tool online. More resources about the coronavirus vaccines are available on the Virginia Department of Health's website.