Johnson & Johnson pause lifted, GS to continue distribution

Eden Hodges, Managing Editor

After the FDA and CDC lifted a pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution Friday, Georgia Southern will begin offering the single-dose vaccine again on campus.

“Now that pause has been lifted for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, we are evaluating the best ways to make those doses available to our campus communities,” said John Lester, vice president of University Communications and Marketing.

The FDA paused the vaccine earlier this month for 11 days after finding rare blood clotting in 15 of the 8 million people who received their shot, but the FDA and CDC decided the benefits outweigh the risks.

“This pause was an example of our extensive safety-monitoring working as they were designed to work—identifying even these small number of cases,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, FDA commissioner in a statement. “We are confident that this vaccine continues to meet our standards for safety, effectiveness and quality.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been hyped as the only single-dose vaccine on the market which could give students the chance to get one and done, without having to return over the summer for their second dose.

“We are continuing to offer the vaccines on our campus and are encouraging all of Eagle Nation to get the vaccine so we can realize our plan of a full return to campus in the fall,” said Lester.

Vaccinations through GS will continue through the summer by appointment. GS is primarily focused on distributing the Moderna vaccine, but vaccine type can be chosen when booking an appointment on MyGS.