The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are jointly recommending that states pause the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after six women developed a “rare and severe” type of blood clot.
CDC and FDA officials said more than 6.8 million doses of the single-dose vaccine have been administered, and that, “Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.”
All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination, according to the statement.
Green River District Health Department Director Clay Horton said there are several local providers that have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine currently in stock, with others who have provided it when it’s been available.
“We intend to follow the recommendation to pause using the J&J COVID vaccine until more information is released,” Horton said. “It appears the reported adverse events are extremely rare. I’m eager to see what updates will be available after the (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) meets tomorrow.”
(To search for local providers currently offering the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, visit vaccinefinder.org.)
According to the joint statement, CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review the six cases and assess their potential significance.
“FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases,” the statement reads. “Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”
People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider, according to the statement.
Johnson & Johnson issued a statement saying, “We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine.”
It further reads, “We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”
