Central Florida sites to start administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine soon

FDA approves resumption of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

After the FDA's vote to resume the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, officials in Seminole County say they're ready to start administering the shot again. Seminole County said it has been using the doses primarily for homebound seniors and those unable to get to vaccination sites.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally lifted its pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the state of Florida is planning to resume use of the one-dose vaccine "as soon as possible," officials tell FOX 35 News.

"There is an ongoing interagency effort to review the guidance issued by the CDC and FDA for its use, and we are still determining what day we will resume administering it," Ian Ohlin, with the Valencia College Vaccination Clinic. "More information regarding this decision will be available soon."

The Valencia College West Campus vaccination site is still offering 3,000 daily first doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

On Saturday, Seminole County said it will resume using its supply of J&J.

"With the CDC and FDA lifting their pause of Johnson & Johnson, Seminole County will resume usage of the vaccine for homebound vaccinations, as long as the individual consents to that vaccine. If the individual would prefer another option, Pfizer or Moderna will be offered instead."

Seminole County says its leftover J&J vaccines have been kept in the freezer during this pause. It currently has 540 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on hand.

Out of nearly 8 million people vaccinated before the U.S. suspended J&J’s shot, health officials uncovered 15 cases of a highly unusual kind of blood clot, three of them fatal. All were women and most were younger than 50.

Watch FOX 35 News for the latest on the COVID-19 vaccine.