Several public health agencies in Washington and Idaho say they are going back to administering the Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccine after getting the go-ahead from the Centers for Disease Control.The CDC has advised that the risks of developing serious blood clots as a result of the shot are less than the risks of not receiving a shot.
“Up to 50% of people admitted to the hospital with Covid, if they were to get a CT scan looking for a clot, will have it. So it’s a real risk of getting Covid as well. Again, Covid is far worse than any of these other risks," said Dr. Chris Baliga, an infectious disease specialist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle.
Baliga spoke Monday at a Washington State Hospital Association media briefing.
Even with Johnson and Johnson getting a green light, it probably won’t be the go-to vaccine for many hospitals in Washington. Several said in that briefing that they administer far more of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and expect that to continue to be the case.