About COVID-19 Vaccines

Update on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force have asked providers to temporarily stop administering the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine based on recommendations from the FDA and CDC. The temporary halt is due to reports that six individuals in the U.S. got rare and severe blood clots after receiving the vaccine. These adverse events appear to be extremely rare. Taking a pause will allow FDA and CDC to complete their investigation and adjust recommendations as needed for providers and patients.

If you have received the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine

If you have received the J&J vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, please contact your health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

If you are scheduled to receive the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine

If you’re scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, you will receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine instead, or your vaccine provider will contact you to reschedule when CDC and FDA have concluded their investigation.

If you are a provider with vaccine

Providers who already have a Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine supply should keep it and continue to maintain proper storage.

We will continue to update this page as we learn more. Please contact the Colorado Vaccine hotline at 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926) or Tri-County Health Department COVID-19 call center at 303-220-9200 if you have additional questions about the J&J vaccine.

The Vaccines

There are three vaccines currently approved for COVID-19 in the U.S.:

Side Effects

Each of the vaccines may cause some side effects including:

Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where you got the shot
Tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, or nausea throughout the rest of the body

Side effects usually start within a day or two after getting the vaccine and usually go away in a few days. Having symptoms like these after you get the vaccine is normal and a sign your immune system is learning to fight the virus. Find more tips from the CDC on what to expect after getting vaccinated and rare severe allergic reactions.

Protection

It takes about two weeks after your final dose for your body to be fully protected against COVID-19 illness. It is not yet known how long the vaccination will offer protection against the virus.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides recommendations after COVID-19 vaccination in private settings.