Massachusetts 'Eagerly Awaiting' Further Guidance On Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the state is "eagerly awaiting" further guidance from the federal government after the CDC and FDA paused use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. The pause came after six women ended up with rare but severe blood clots after getting the shot.
Baker said this week Massachusetts received 11,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson, which is only about 3% of the state's total vaccine allotment.
"The J&J supply in Massachusetts is currently a small portion of our supply and in the immediate future we're expecting minimal disruptions to schedule new appointments," the governor told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.
Anyone who experiences unusual symptoms such as severe headaches or abdominal and leg pain is asked to contact their doctor.
"We obviously eagerly await further guidance with respect the next steps," Baker said. "The health and safety of our residents remains a paramount and fundamental concern for us, and the Commonwealth will closely monitor this issue and follow federal guidance."
When asked about confidence in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Baker said "I would have taken the J&J if it had been available, and I would still take it."
Baker said the state remains "basically on track" with where they expected to be at this point when vaccines began rolling out in December.
"We'll use whatever vaccine is available. The rules and the logistics will be different, but we've demonstrated over the course of the past several months that we can work with whichever product is available to us," Baker said.
