Local Vaccine Providers Pause the Use of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
April 13, 2021 - San Antonio
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The FDA and the CDC issued a recommendation Tuesday that asked states to temporarily halt using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine after six women in the U.S. developed a rare blood-clotting disorder
- As of Tuesday, an estimated 25,512 Bexar County residents have been administered the J&J vaccine
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a recommendation that asked states to temporarily halt using Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” after six women in the U.S. developed a rare blood-clotting disorder. Metro Health, UT Health, WellMed, and University Health will all pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson-Janssen (J&J) vaccine until further notice and will continue to vaccinate the public with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
“The health and safety of our residents are top priority and Metro Health will continue to monitor this situation,” said Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger. “The side effects reported are extremely rare and this pause is out of an abundance of caution. We still encourage people to get vaccinated as quickly as possible with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and the supply for both of those is increasing rapidly.”
According to the statement issued by the FDA and CDC: “Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. Covid-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following Covid-19 vaccination very seriously. 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.”
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A total of 45,800 doses of J&J vaccines have been allocated to Bexar County since March 8, 2021. As of today, an estimated 25,512 Bexar County residents have been administered the J&J vaccine compared to over 600,000 people in Bexar County who have received either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Metro Health has received a total of 7,000 doses of the J&J vaccine (6,000 last week and 1,000 this week). Metro Health currently has 2,332 doses remaining from that allocation.
This J&J vaccine allotted to Metro Health was used at community events and with our homebound vaccination program. No doses were administered at the Alamodome clinic. All appointments at local mass vaccination sites will continue as scheduled.
Medical providers should report any adverse reactions to all vaccines through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System here.
For more information and updates, please visit the City’s Covid-19 website.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @getjaded