Due to recent information posted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Northern Kentucky Health Department has decided to halt the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Instead, they’ll be switching to Moderna.
In a joint statement issued early Tuesday, the CDC and FDA say experts are reviewing data showing six cases of a “rare and severe” type of blood clot that may be associated with the J&J vaccine.
All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.
As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered, says the CDC.
“Right now, these events appear to be very rare. However, until we learn more from the FDA, CDC and the Kentucky Department for Public Health, we are taking reasonable actions to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in our vaccination clinics and will instead use the Moderna vaccine,” said Lynne Saddler, M.D., MPH, district director of health for the Northern Kentucky Health Department, in a release.
The CDC will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday, and the FDA will review their findings as it continues to investigate the cases.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not included in the CDC’s and FDA’s recommended pause and continue to be viewed as safe to distribute, according to available information.
According to the Northern Kentucky Health Department, “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. Tell them your symptoms and that you have been vaccinated with J&J in the past three weeks so that it can be taken into consideration for your diagnosis and treatment.”
The CDC and FDA issued a similar recommendation for anyone who recently received the J&J vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson has responded to concerns, as reported by ABC News.
“We are aware that thromboembolic events including those with thrombocytopenia have been reported with COVID-19 vaccines,” says the corporation. “At present, no clear causal relationship has been established between these rare events and the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. We continue to work closely with experts and regulators to assess the data and support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”
The CDC asks health care providers to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.
“COVID-19 vaccine safety is a priority for all of us in public health and health care,” said Saddler, “This is why there is such an extensive reporting system in place to track and investigate adverse reactions and to pause the use of vaccine when necessary — even with extremely rare events — to make sure we all understand what is happening before proceeding.”
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2021.