One of the COVID-19 vaccines is on pause.
On April 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration jointly announced that following six cases of “a rare and severe type of blood clot” in women who received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, providers were advised to temporarily pause administration of the vaccine.
The six cases have so far occurred exclusively among women ages 18 to 48 and represent a 0.0000882% of the 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine that have been administered in the United States so far.
CDC convened a meeting April 14 to review these cases and assess their significance, the statement from the FDA and CDC reads, adding, “Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.”
Spectrum Healthcare has for several weeks been administering shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to rural areas in Yavapai County, taking advantage of the vaccine’s ease of storage compared to the Moderna vaccine given to most individuals in the county, as well as the need for only a single dose, to implement mobile vaccine clinics.
Spectrum announced on Wednesday, April 14, a pause to all implementation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in accordance with the federal guidance.
“We take the safety and well- being of our community very seriously at Spectrum,” Spectrum CEO April Rhodes said in a press release. “We will observe the recommendation of the FDA and CDC to pause use of the Janssen vaccine until more information is known. This will not impact the current scheduled appointments for patients, as we have ample supply of the Moderna vaccine.”
According to Spectrum Vice President of Integration Sunshine Dean, the mobile vaccine clinics have continued as planned, replacing the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine with initial shots of the Moderna vaccine, requiring those receiving it to sign up for a second dose to come in four weeks. The planned vaccination drive at the Oak Creek Country Club in the Village of Oak Creek on April 21 will involve the Moderna vaccine, not Johnson & Johnson.
“We didn’t pause them because we don’t want people to have to wait,” Dean said. This could mean some inconvenience for those who hoped to be one-and-done with the Johnson & Johnson shot but will have to get a second one with Moderna. “I’m sure that they’re annoyed. They don’t want to have to come back for the second shot I think. But for the most part people are like, ‘Sure.’ They just want to get vaccinated.”
Both the CDC and Spectrum are urging those who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and experience adverse effects, especially within the six to 13 days after receiving a shot, to seek medical attention.
“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 should contact their health care provider,” the joint statement from the FDA and CDC reads.”
“With the information we currently have, this is considered a rare adverse event as the rate is 1 in a million,” Dean said. “However, if you experience shortness of breath, abdominal pain, leg pain, or severe headache within three weeks of the Janssen vaccine administration, it is advised that you contact your health care provider promptly.”
Spectrum Healthcare is also beginning to wind down its large-scale vaccination sites in Cottonwood and Prescott Valley as demand for vaccinations have decreased. Spectrum has already closed down their site at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley and moved its Cottonwood location at Verde Valley Christian Church to a three-day schedule, offering appointments on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays only.
Vaccinations have begun being offered at Spectrum’s clinic locations in Cottonwood, Camp Verde and Sedona. The health care group is planning to end vaccinations at Verde Valley Christian Church on May 14, with those who still need a shot, either first or second, able to get it from one of Spectrum’s clinic locations.
“Once we close down the [large sites] we’re still going to have vaccines available,” Dean said. “People can still get the vaccine at our clinics.”
