County resumes administration of Johnson and Johnson vaccine
–The San Luis Obispo County Public Health department will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine locally, in accordance with guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
“The health and safety of our community is top priority in this vaccination effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” said County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. “This pause was an example of how vaccine safety is monitored on a national level, and the thorough and transparent manner with which adverse events are investigated. We are happy to have confirmation from multiple entities that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe to resume administering locally.”
The county will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in limited quantities through community vaccination clinics and will distribute additional supply to local pharmacies. About 2,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered locally by County Public Health, and no cases of thrombosis – thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) have occurred.
On April 13, the CDC and FDA recommended a temporary pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. Of more than 7.9 million doses administered nationally, there have been over a dozen reported cases of TTS, a rare and severe type of blood clotting. Nearly all reports of TTS have been in adult women under 50, with symptoms occurring 6 to 13 days after vaccination.
During the pause, multiple health agencies conducted a thorough safety review, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. On April 24, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup concluded the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective and recommended resuming use of the vaccine for all eligible Californians.
If you have received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, the health department advises that you contact your healthcare provider, or seek medical care.
For more information on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, visit CDC.gov/coronavirus or www.janssencovid19vaccine.com.
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