Pause on Janssen Johnson & Johnson vaccine at area vaccine clinics
Submitted by paula on Tue, 04/13/2021 - 12:14pm
Based on the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the El Dorado County Office of Emergency Services has announced the temporary suspension of the Janssen Johnson and Johnson (J%J) vaccine.
Among more than 6.8 million doses administered nationwide, six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot have been reported, with symptoms occurring between 6 and 13 days after receiving the vaccine.
Anyone who has received the J&J vaccine are encouraged to monitor their symptoms and be in contact with their doctor on their health status. According to the CDC & FDA, all six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48. The Washoe County Health District has administered about 2,878 doses of Janssen at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center and through its homebound program.
According to the CDC, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. There have been no associated issues with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
El Dorado County Public Health doesn't have J&J clinics scheduled, but if you're scheduled for a J&J shot elsewhere, call to inquire the status. Washoe County has told residents who were scheduled to receive the J&J COVID-19 vaccine will receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine until further notice.
In the Quad Counties, Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHS) will be contacting those who have an appointment at a CCHHS Janssen event and offering them the Moderna vaccine instead. If an individual does not wish to receive the Moderna vaccine, they will need to schedule another appointment; CCHHS will not be rescheduling appointments. To cancel appointments or to reschedule, log into your appointment account HERE.
For information on South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County vaccine clinics, visit https://www.edcgov.us/Government/hhsa/Pages/EDCCOVID-19-clinics.aspx. For Washoe County, visit https://covid9washoe.com/ and for the Quad Counties, including Douglas County, visit HERE.