WA DOH Officially Recommends Pfizer, Moderna Over J&J Vaccine

OLYMPIA, WA — After about a year of recommending all three approved COVID-19 vaccines equally, the Washington State Department of Health announced Friday that it would begin promoting the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The DOH says the change comes as a result of new data about Johnson & Johnson and thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS. TTS is a rare, but serious condition causing dangerous blood clots and a low platelet count. The J&J vaccine caused TTS in a small handful of cases: 14 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered nationwide, causing 54 cases of TTS. Of those 54 cases, 9 patients have died, including a King County woman.

At the time of the woman's death, Washington health leaders stressed that the chance of causing TTS is rare — which it is — but continued to promote the J&J vaccine as an equally viable alternative to the Moderna or Pfizer shots. The reason the DOH is changing its mind now, the agency says, is because of recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“Public health and safety are, and will always be, our top priorities, which is why we are adopting this new guidance,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “Today, more than 5 million Washingtonians are fully vaccinated, which means they are protecting themselves from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. I continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and, with this news, boosted with an mRNA vaccine as soon as possible.”

Though health leaders are formally recommending the two-dose vaccines over the J&J, it will not be pulled from shelves. Patients who have already set appointments to take a J&J dose can still do so, but are advised to consider the alternatives.

“With this recommendation, COVID-19 vaccines based on mRNA are preferred over J&J vaccine, but J&J continues to be an option for those who aren’t able to receive mRNA vaccine,” said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Chief Science Officer. “With new variants like omicron on the scene, it’s important for people to get vaccinated and boosted to increase their protection against COVID-19, especially the elderly, children, and adults with chronic conditions. Vaccines save lives.”

Fortunately, the change in recommendation is likely to cause few serious disruptions, as the J&J vaccine is not nearly as popular as Pfizer or Moderna in Washington. As of the state's latest data, just 4 percent of Washington's 11.4 million administered doses of COVID-19 vaccine were Johnson & Johnson.

Patients who still choose to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are asked to know the symptoms of an adverse reaction, which include severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg swelling, and shortness of breath. Anyone who suffers those symptoms after taking a J&J dose should contact their health care provider or an urgent care center.

>> Read more on vaccine safety and efficacy from the Washington State Department of Health.