Virginia lifts pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine

RICHMOND, Va. - The Virginia Department of Health on Friday quickly announced that it will follow the CDC’s new recommendation and lift the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control had advised halting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after several cases in which recipients had rare cases of blood clots.

"The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will follow that guidance and instruct providers across the Commonwealth that they are free to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine immediately," the department said in a statement.

The department believes the "extra scrutiny" should improve confidence in the vaccine.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

Early in April, medical experts in Virginia investigated whether the death of a Commonwealth woman could be linked to the single-dose vaccine.

Maryland has not indicated whether it will follow the same course.

Virginia Coronavirus Vaccine