SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon health care providers and pharmacies may resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, if they can ensure patients or their caregivers are informed about the benefits and risks of the vaccine in their primary language, the Oregon Health Authority announced Saturday night.

The OHA said it issued the new guidance to health care providers earlier Saturday. Currently, there are approximately 124,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that have been stored at Oregon vaccination sites, while providers awaited resolution of the recent federal and Western States safety reviews.

On April 13, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a pause on use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following reports of rare and serious blood clots in a small number of people, out of the approximately 7.5 million people who had been vaccinated at the time.

An Oregon woman was the second to die after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the CDC is investigating whether those hospitalizations and deaths were related to the vaccinations.

On Friday, the Food and Drug administration lifted the pause, with a warning about the potential for rare blood clots for women under age 50. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup also found that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is “generally safe and effective and that the resumption of its use is warranted once culturally and linguistically appropriate patient and provider educational materials in plain language that support informed decision-making are available.”

Medical experts on the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup also stated: “resumption of its use will support COVID-19 vaccine uptake and help reduce severe COVID-19 illnesses and control the pandemic in our states.”

According to OHA’s guidance to health care providers:

Vaccine providers in Oregon may now resume the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, so long as they ensure that recipients or their caregivers receive the new warning information regarding thrombosis and thrombopenia. This information must be provided in the individual’s primary language or in a manner that the individual can understand, considering English language proficiency and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility needs.

Updated fact sheets including this warning have been approved by the FDA, including the Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers administering vaccine and the Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers.

OHA’s guidance also states: “Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be made aware of this rare potential risk of blood clots within the first three weeks of vaccination. Clinical characteristics include clots in the cerebral, extremity, pulmonary or splanchnic vasculature. Symptoms may include severe or unusual headache, leg pain, shortness of breath, or abdominal pain; petechiae in the arms and shins indicating thrombocytopenia. Those who develop such symptoms should be advised to seek medical attention immediately … Vaccine providers should make information available about which vaccine is available at their site.”

More information about vaccinations in Oregon is available at covidvaccine.oregon.gov.

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News release Saturday from Gov. Kate Brown's office:

Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup Recommends Resuming Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

Workgroup report concludes J&J vaccine is safe, effective, and that resumption of its use will support COVID-19 vaccine uptake, help reduce severe COVID-19 illnesses, and control the pandemic
Recognizes the importance of the multiple systems in place in the U.S. to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines 

 (Salem, OR) — The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup today completed its review of the federal process and has unanimously concluded that use of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Biotech) COVID-19 vaccine should resume in the Western States. The Workgroup provided its confirmation to the Governors of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington this afternoon.

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted its pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following a review by a federal vaccine safety review panel. The Workgroup further recommended that vaccine information fact sheets be culturally and linguistically appropriate, and available in multiple languages at an accessible reading level to inform conversations between health care providers and vaccine recipients.

Washington, Oregon, and Nevada joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup in October. The workgroup, made up of nationally-acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health, has concurrently and independently reviewed the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccines. It will continue to evaluate other COVID-19 vaccines as they go through the federal process.

Statement from Governor Kate Brown:

“I am grateful to count myself among the nearly 7 million Americans protected by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. With this thorough scientific review by leading state and federal doctors, scientists, and health experts, Oregonians can be confident that this vaccine is safe and effective, and that the benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 far outweigh the risks of this exceedingly rare adverse effect. My heart goes out to the family in Oregon who lost a loved one after receiving her shot, and all others who may have been impacted by this rare condition. Just as they do with other medications, doctors now have the information they need to assess when any additional precautions should be taken.”

Statement from Washington Governor Jay Inslee:

“The benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks associated with it. We want to keep as many people free from COVID and out of the hospital as possible, and the J&J vaccine will help us get through this pandemic. I encourage people to get whatever vaccine is available to them. If you have questions or concerns, consult a provider to help answer questions you have.”

Statement from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak:

"The benefits of the one-shot Janssen vaccine clearly outweigh the risks - that’s what the short pause allowed leading scientific minds to study and review, at both the federal and state level. As one of many Nevadans who gladly took this vaccine when it was offered to me, I look forward to resuming the use of the vaccine in our State, along with the Moderna and Pfizer products. Every shot in an arm puts Nevada one step closer to recovery."

Statement from California Governor Gavin Newsom:

“After additional review, analysis and scrutiny, experts have concluded the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe, effective and will protect you against the COVID-19 virus. To date, about a million Californians have already received this vaccine—including myself and many of the state’s top doctors. I encourage all Californians to trust the science, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones and end the pandemic.”