Johnson & Johnson vaccines will resume in Washington state

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee said Saturday inoculations with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can begin in Washington state following a review by scientific experts in a western states work group.

The Seattle Times reported that the Western States Scientific Safety Review work group — vaccine experts from Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada — met Friday to review data about the vaccine's potential risks, after more than a dozen women nationwide developed rare blood clots.

"The benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks associated with it," Inslee said in a news release.

The federal Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday called for the 11-day pause on the J&J vaccine to be lifted after federal regulators reviewed data on blood clots and assess risks associated with the vaccine.

Out of nearly 8 million people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 15 women developed these blood clots.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine providers will now provide information about the risk and information about symptoms to watch for after vaccination.