The Montezuma County Public Health Department canceled this week’s Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine clinic out of an abundance of caution after federal health officials’ recommendation to temporarily suspend use of the shot.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment alerted providers to temporarily suspend use of the vaccine after the release of a joint statement Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the statement, six people in the U.S. got “rare and severe blood clots” after receiving the vaccine. A type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets.
All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, six to 13 days after vaccination.
According to Montezuma County Public Health Department Public Information Officer Vicki Shaffer, many locals had been waiting with anticipation to get the Johnson & Johnson shot, primarily it requires only one dose to complete the inoculation.
While the adverse reactions to the Johnson & Johnson shot are rare, officials recommended the pause to make sure health care providers are up to date on how to recognize the reaction and respond accordingly.
The company’s vaccine makes up a small portion of the state’s weekly allocation. Per the CDPHE statement, this week’s Johnson & Johnson allocation statewide is 9,700. Colorado expects to receive almost 280,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine this week, meaning that most clinics will not be significantly affected.
According to a news release from the Montezuma County Public Health Department, people who reserved a spot in the clinic will be contacted by the health department on how to reschedule. The department still has Moderna vaccine available.
anicotera@the-journal.com
