CDC reports most Johnson and Johnson vaccine side effects are not serious
There is some reassuring news from the government, one week after Johnson and Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine was deemed safe to be used again.
A new report says a majority of the side effects aren't serious. The report, published Friday, showed that 97 percent of the events reported have been labeled as non-serious, but the CDC says it will continue to monitor for adverse reactions.
"There was a pause, it was examined and now we are going ahead with it," said Dr. Anthony Fauci with The National Institutes of Health.
Health leaders continue to stress that it's safe for Americans to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. There was hesitation after an 11-day pause because several women experienced extremely rare blood clots.
RELATED: Covid-19 vaccine myths: These reasons for not getting a shot don't hold up
"For people to get vaccinated, they need confidence, they need to know that this is urgent and important, and they need access - and that is why we are working hard on all three fronts," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
In that new detailed report, the CDC showed the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. The pause on the shots was lifted April 23. The CDC says out of 8 million J&J shots administered, there were only 17 cases of the rare blood clotting condition, known as TTS, and three deaths have been reported.
"If anybody has any doubts about the safety of those other vaccines and including J&J, we can now say we take this very seriously, we've looked at it, now let's get back and get people vaccinated," said Dr. Fauci.
If you are having symptoms, the CDC says it's vital that you report them to your healthcare provider or to its vaccine safety reporting system, known as VAERS, so they can monitor any adverse events.
As more people trust the science and get vaccinated, health experts say things can start to look normal again.
"Until now, we have had three updated guidances of what you can do if you are fully vaccinated. And we look forward to more, as more people get vaccinated, but this virus has tricked us before. So I would like to watch and see how it goes before making further estimations about what happens in a couple of months," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky with the CDC.
The CDC says women younger than 50 should still be aware of the risk associated with the J&J shot and also know there are other vaccination options like Pfizer and Moderna.
