What you should do if you took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that's now on 'pause'

HOUSTON - Houston health officials are advising people on what to do if you took the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which has now been put on pause amid concerns about blood clots.

If you got the Johnson & Johnson shot, your window of concern for possible dangerous side effects is one to three weeks after the shot, according to Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse.

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He says dangerous side effects are extremely rare--less than one in a million people have reportedly had the brain blood clot being looked at in possible connection with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Still, if you got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last month, he says look out for these symptoms:
- Severe headache
- Shortness of breath
- Abdominal pain
- Leg pain

Those are areas where blood clots can also form and it’s important to reach out to your primary care provider and get evaluated, said Persse.

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While all Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been shut down until further notice, he says he hopes this doesn’t deter people from signing up for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

"I do fear that this will add to the dialogue of ‘problems with the vaccines’ when there really aren’t--I shouldn’t say there aren’t any—but they’re very rare compared to the risk you take when you get infected," said Persse.

Meanwhile CVS told FOX 26 they are one of the countless pharmacies having to cancel all Johnson & Johnson appointments and let their customers know they’ll follow up and reschedule with a different vaccine.