Health care providers pause in administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Reedsburg Area Medical Center is not giving out the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, but others in Sauk County have ceased distributing their existing supplies.

The Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued a statement last week asking vaccinators to pause in administering more of this shot amid reports of adverse effects.

“This pause is being done out of an abundance of caution while the FDA and CDC review data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine,” explained Dr. Elizabeth Baker, Reedsburg Area Medical Center chief medical officer, in a statement. “As of April 12^th, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., so these adverse events are extremely rare.”

Those who want a vaccine can still get it, as there are other providers, said Mo Kharbat, SSM Health’s regional vice president of pharmacy services.

“This pause to investigate is a reassuring display of scientific transparency, and is standard practice in response to a potential safety signal in a new medication or vaccine,” said Kharbat, SSM. “These adverse events have not been reported for the other two available COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, they both remain safe and effective and we encourage Wisconsinites to get vaccinated.”

Those who’ve received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine shouldn’t immediately panic because complications are not common. It’s important to monitor any symptoms and reach out to a medical provider if you have questions or concerns, said Dr. Andrea Chao, pediatrician at Sauk Prairie Healthcare and physician leader of the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic.

“If you have received the J&J vaccine, know that these severe events are extremely rare. Monitor for severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath for three weeks after vaccination. If you experience these symptoms, contact your health care provider,” said Chao. “We also recommend people who get a COVID-19 vaccine to use the v-safe after vaccination health checker app (https://vsafe.cdc.gov/) to report symptoms after vaccination. Reporting symptoms helps keep COVID-19 vaccines safe for you and for everyone.”

Those who were scheduled to receive a Johnson & Johnson vaccine should check their vaccinator’s website for updates. In the meantime, providers are doing their best to fulfill current requests with shots from Pfizer and Moderna instead. Supplies are limited, however, so these recipients may need to reschedule their vaccination.

To find a vaccine provider, visit https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/publichealth/covid-19-vaccination-sites.

This story has been updated. A previous version contained incorrect details due to faulty information provided through the Sauk County Health Department.