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Florida To Halt Use Of Johnson and Johnson COVID Vaccine

Phil Roeder/Flickr

Governor Ron DeSantis, who was recently vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, said Tuesday that Florida would halt the vaccine’s use following a recommendation from federal health authorities.

DeSantis said he understood the need for caution because the vaccine was only approved for emergency use, but he added that he did not think Floridians need to worry.

He says the only effect he experienced was that his arm was sore for 45 minutes and that, overall, the Johnson & Johnson track record in the state had been good.

“We are following the recommendation to pause in the meantime. We are going to look closely at what they end up saying and doing. My hope would be that this is something that is a little bit of a speedbump.”  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot. DeSantis told reporters that he expected Florida will continue to have a robust supply of doses, using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.