SLO County places 4,400 doses of Moderna COVID vaccine on hold due to allergic reactions
San Luis Obispo County vaccination clinics will not administer some Moderna COVID-19 vaccines due to reports of possible allergic reactions, the Public Health Department announced Tuesday.
It will not impact first-time vaccination appointments, SLO County Public Health says, but it could cause a temporary setback in the distribution of second doses to SLO County residents because the state will not replace the doses at this time.
According to a news release, the SLO County Public Health Department received 4,400 doses of a specific lot of Moderna vaccine that has been tied to a “higher-than-usual number of adverse events” at a California clinic. The state public health department has recommended counties not administer vaccines from that lot while they are being investigated.
San Luis Obispo County had not begun administering those doses as of Tuesday, according to a news release.
Instead, the doses will be reserved until the state provides further guidance and validates their safety.
“Our priority from day one has been to administer vaccines effectively and safely,” County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release. “While some mild side effects from the Moderna vaccine are normal, we want to be especially careful to make sure all vaccines are safe for our community. We will await further guidance from the CDC and the state before administering these doses.”
According to the release, a higher-than-usual number of adverse events were reported this week with a Moderna vaccine lot — Lot 041L20A — administered at a single California clinic.
Fewer than 10 individuals in the state had an adverse reaction to the Moderna vaccine, according to the release. An investigation will be conducted by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and the state to assess whether these doses can be safely administered to the public.
Public health officials say a brief delay in receiving a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine “will not be detrimental to health and will not require the recipient to start the vaccine series over.”
Residents awaiting their second dose of vaccine will be informed by text or email when new appointments are available.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 12:16 PM.
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