‘Paused’ J&J Vaccine Now FAA-Approved For Aviation Professionals

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The FAA announced last week that Johnson & Johnsonā€™s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is safe for ā€œpilots and other safety-sensitive professionalsā€ [such as air traffic controllers]. The vaccine was shelved from distribution to the general public in 2021 after reports surfaced of rare but adverse side effects, such as blood clots in women.

With last weekā€™s announcement, aviation personnel may now receive the vaccine ā€œunder the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification,ā€ the agency announced.

As it does with the multi-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the FAA requires a 48-hour waiting period between an aviation professional receiving the J&J vaccine and performing duties associated with their roles related to flight. Meanwhile, the agency will also ā€œevaluate additional vaccines as they receive FDA emergency-use authorization and will advise pilots and air traffic controllers of any required waiting periods.ā€  

Mark Phelps
Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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8 COMMENTS

    • There are potential side effects from virtually ALL vaccines and medications. Those documented for the mRNA COVID vaccines are all relatively minor and/or infrequent. There was significant association noted for the J&J vaccine, which is not mRNA based, and thrombosis (clotting) and thrombocytopenia (reduced platelets) was strong enough to cause a pause in distribution. There were also episodes of cerebral venous thrombosis, mostly in women, that were considered in the pause.

    • “Thank goodness there are zero side effects with the other vaccine.”

      Wrong.

      Thank goodness covid vaccines were developed which has saved lives and prevented severe illness for untold millions.

      • “Thank goodness covid vaccines were developed which has saved lives and prevented severe illness for untold millions.”

        WRONG

        COVID vaccines have INCREASED all-cause mortality of recipients. In other words, there is chance — absolute risk reduction less than 1% in the Pfizer trial — that you will not die of COVID but will enjoy a much higher risk of death.

        …but you should take every vaccine offered. Some of us will follow actual science.

        • I don’t know what it is you are following but it’s certainly not “actual science.”

          The reality is that, here in the US, covid vaccines have prevented hundreds of millions of infections, saved millions of lives and lowered the severity of serious illness. Go ahead and Google it for yourself – it is confirmed by as many legitimate sources as you care to check. Otherwise, feel free to enlighten all of us on exactly where you get your “actual science.”

          Your misinformed (or perhaps deliberately ignorant) view that covid vaccines have caused greater mortality is simply breathtaking and you should be ashamed of yourself for advancing such a false and ridiculous claim.

  1. FAA requires a 48-hour waiting period between an aviation professional receiving the J&J vaccine and performing duties associated with their roles related to flight……

    That should work out really well for SWA pilots.

  2. If you decide to get any of theseā€¦ it is best to wait it out a week or two, not just 48 hours. The blood clotting seems to be a normal reaction of the vaccine and the virus in the blood stream. Pulling Gs could cause a serious problem.

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