Newly released data shows Johnson and Johnson vaccine recipients could be next in line for a booster shot.

Johnson & Johnson is recalling five of its sunscreen sprays after discovering low levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer, in some samples.

Offering Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, the Virginia Department of Health administered hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines at the Salem Fair.

Mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinics designed to help underserved communities kicked off Saturday in the Roanoke and Alleghany area.

After federal officials lifted a recommended pause on the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, local health departments are working to help the public regain trust in the only one-shot dose available

Local health leaders say restarting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine again could help with vaccine hesitancy

Open to anyone in the area looking to get their first dose of Moderna, Roanoke Alleghany Health District hosted a walk-in clinic at the Berglund Center Thursday.

Health experts with Carilion Clinic want to assure the public that the risk of getting a rare blood clot from the vaccine is incredibly low.

The federal decision to temporarily pause the distribution of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has implications in every health district in the Commonwealth, especially the smaller ones who planned to use the convenient one-dose shot to vaccinate their hard-to-reach residents.

Thousands of people have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine across Southwest and Central Virginia and health experts say they understand if there are concerns.

States around the nation, including Virginia, put a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

The U.S. recommendation to “pause” use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine set off a chain reaction worldwide and dealt a setback to the global vaccine campaign.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Health officials in the New River Valley are not getting as many doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as expected. Health Director Dr. Noelle Bissell says people in the district have the most interest in the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. “We have a lot of people who have expressed interest in the Johnson and Johnson because it is a one-and-done shot. So we have a waitlist as soon as we get it that we can offer to people to come to a clinic that is Johnson and Johnson specific,” New River Health Director Dr. Noelle Bissell said. Bissell is still advising the community to get whatever vaccine becomes available first so the region can reach herd immunity against the virus.

ROANOKE, Va. – While some areas are moving forward to Phase 1c with vaccine distribution, Roanoke Alleghany County Health District is still far from it. Waiting for more Johnson and Johnson vaccines, Dr. Cynthia Morrow said an extra 1,000 Moderna vaccines are expected to be added to the next shipment. A necessary supply as Morrow said a reduction of vaccine allocation from the state was not expected. “You know all of us were a little bit disappointed when we learned the state allocation was 49,000 not the over 100,000 we were expecting,” she said. That’s why on Wednesday a hotline was created to help register 65 and up.

White House aides said Biden’s first priority is ensuring that Americans are vaccinated before considering distributing doses elsewhere. AdRussia has sent millions of doses of its Sputnik V vaccine to countries around the world, even as it vaccinates its own population. Israel, which has vaccinated more than half of its population with Pfizer vaccines produced in Europe, has also attempted to use vaccine diplomacy to reward allies. Biden's purchasing strategy has come under criticism from nongovernmental organizations who have encouraged the White House to develop clear plans and thresholds for sharing vaccine with the world. So we’re not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe,” acknowledged Biden.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday directed his administration to order another 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, growing a likely U.S. surplus of doses later this year when much of the rest of the world struggles with deep shortages. White House aides said that Biden’s first priority is ensuring that Americans are vaccinated before considering distributing doses elsewhere. Biden's purchasing strategy has come under criticism from nongovernmental organizations who have encouraged the White House to develop clear plans and thresholds for sharing vaccine with the world. “The only way to defeat this virus for good is to defeat it everywhere — and that requires an immediate plan for sharing excess vaccine doses globally,” said Sarah Swinehart, senior director for communications at The ONE Campaign. So we’re not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe,” acknowledged Biden.

Biden hosted the CEOs of Merck and Johnson and Johnson at the White House.

FILE - This Dec. 2, 2020, file photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two (Johnson & Johnson via AP)TORONTO, ONT – Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19 as the country's health regulator has cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two, officials said Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has an agreement with Johnson & Johnson for 10 million doses before September. Trudeau said officials have been assured by the European Union that Pfizer and Moderna vaccine deliveries to Canada won't be disrupted. He said Canada won't get AstraZeneca vaccines doses from Europe for months.

ROANOKE, Va – Virginia’s top vaccine expert said everyone in the commonwealth who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should be able to get their first shot by the end of May. Dr. Danny Avula with the Virginia Department of Health said Virginia continues to get increased amounts of Moderna, Pfizer, and now the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Avula said that by the end of the month, VDH will be getting 500,000 doses of the vaccine a week and 650,000 doses a week by the end of April. “It’s very realistic to say that everybody in 1b, who wants to get vaccinated will be able to do that by the end of April, and everybody across the board who wants to get vaccinated, was able to get their first dose by the end of May,” said Avula. The VDH will also start hosting more large-scale vaccination events starting later this week to distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

ROANOKE, Va – If the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is approved, it could be in the Roanoke Valley as early as next week. The vaccine is on the verge of getting emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Studies show the single-shot vaccine would be 66% effective against moderate and severe cases of COVID-19. Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District Director Dr. Cynthia Morrow says the department will likely administer the shot on different days during its clinics. The department will likely get a small amount at first and then increased doses as time goes on similar to Moderna and Pfizer.

ROANOKE, Va. – With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deeming the Johnson and Johnson safe to use and effective, it could be key to helping solve the distribution dilemma in the Commonwealth. Despite the Johnson and Johnson vaccine being 66% effective, Dr. Noelle Bissell, the director for the New River Health District, said it will work. “We say this every year about flu vaccinations. Even flu vaccinations are not even that high.”Requiring standard refrigeration temperatures, Bissell said the vaccine is a more convenient dose to deliver and administer. “The Johnson and Johnson works very well if you are going to do a big drive-thru event because again it’s a one-time dose,” she said.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Oklahoma judge who recently ordered pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for its role in the state's opioid crisis says he made a mathematical error when calculating the judgment. As part of the landmark verdict in August, Judge Thad Balkman set aside $107,683,000 to help combat neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. On Tuesday, Balkman agreed with Johnson and Johnson regarding the error. The judge still needs to decide if the court will continue to monitor the opioid crisis for the next 20 years and potentially award more money to the state. Johnson & Johnson has already indicated they will appeal any decision.

For the first time ever a drug maker is being held responsible for one of the worst man-made epidemics in history. Johnson and Johnson has been ordered to pay the state of Oklahoma $572 million.