Early this morning, the CDC and FDA have issued joint guidance to pause the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine. Here is what you need to know.
- The call to pause J&J rollout was made based on 6 cases of a rare and severe blood clotting disorder
- The 6 people who developed the condition were women between the ages of 18 and 48
- Symptoms developed between 6-13 days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
- No other known risk factors are known at this time. The CDC is in the process of reviewing the women’s medical history to learn more
- Throughout the United States, 6.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson have been administered, including approximately 100,000 in Connecticut. The Farmington Valley Health District has administered less than 400 doses of J&J in the last 2 weeks. It should be stressed that 6 instances out of 6.8 million doses is still extremely rare
- If you received a dose in the last 2 weeks, the risk remains very low for this adverse clotting reaction
- It is normal to experience flu-like symptoms in the 1-3 days following any COVID vaccine
- Concerning symptoms you can watch for include severe headache that is out of the ordinary for you, leg pain, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath. If you experience these symptoms approximately 6-13 days after receiving the J&J vaccine, seek medical help.
For more information, see here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0413-JJ-vaccine.html