The Mercer County Health Department (MCHD) today announced that they will be following the CDC recommendation and pause in administering the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine. This recommendation follows an announcement by the CDC and FDA that they are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot coupled with low levels of blood platelets.
While it appears that these adverse events are extremely rare, per CDC guidance, the Health Department is advising people who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination to contact their health care provider.
“We will be pausing our J&J clinics until such time as the CDC and FDA recommend resuming administration of this vaccine,” states Carla Ewing, Administrator, “Our first priority is to ensure our efforts are promoting the best possible outcomes in vaccine administration. This pause will ensure we are understanding these new developments with this vaccine and adjusting accordingly.”
The Health Department had a clinic scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, 2021 for Johnson and Johnson vaccinations and will be offering Moderna instead. If you are scheduled for a vaccine on Wednesday, you may call the Health Department to reschedule for a future clinic with the Moderna vaccination.
