The one-dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen Covid-19 vaccine is safe for pilots and other safety-sensitive professionals who may now receive it “under the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification,” the FAA announced late last week.
Distribution of the vaccine had been temporarily suspended to the general public in 2021 following reports of a variety of adverse but extremely rare side effects, including blood clots in women. It was approved for pilots, air traffic controllers, and others subject to FAA medical clearance after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration granted it emergency use authorization.
As with the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer covid vaccines, and those for tuberculosis and typhoid, the FAA requires a 48-hour waiting period between vaccine administration and return to duty. The agency said it will “continuously monitor the initial distribution of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and will adjust the recommendations as needed” and it will also “evaluate additional vaccines as they receive FDA emergency use authorization and will advise pilots and air traffic controllers of any required waiting periods.”