AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Coronavirus vaccine providers in Texas should resume using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Texas health commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said Saturday.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is an important tool in our fight against COVID-19, and the scientific review over the last 11 days has affirmed its safety and effectiveness,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt.
Texas joined several other states Saturday in ordering or recommending a resumption after after U.S. health officials said Friday that they were lifting an 11-day pause on vaccinations using the J&J vaccine.
During the pause, scientific advisers decided the vaccine’s benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot.
The state health department on Saturday reported more than 2,200 newly confirmed or probable virus cases and 49 additional deaths.
There have been more than 2.8 million confirmed or probable virus cases in Texas and 48,946 deaths since the pandemic began. The state health department reports more than 2.7 million people have recovered.
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