SLO County to restart use of single-shot COVID vaccine after 2-week pause
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department will start administering the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine again after a two-week pause for safety reviews, the agency announced Wednesday.
The county temporarily stopped distributing the vaccine on April 13 after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a pause due to reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot, a Public Health Department news release said.
“The health and safety of our community is top priority in this vaccination effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer, said in the release. “This pause was an example of how vaccine safety is monitored on a national level, and the thorough and transparent manner with which adverse events are investigated.
“We are happy to have confirmation from multiple entities that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe to resume administering locally.”
More than 7.9 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been distributed nationwide, and blood clots have been reported in more than a dozen shot recipients, the release said.
Most all of the blood clots have occurred in vaccine recipients under age 50 who’ve developed symptoms six to 13 days after getting their shots.
During the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stoppage, the CDC, the FDA and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup investigated the shot and found it was safe, the release said.
On April 24, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended resuming use of the single-dose vaccine again.
San Luis Obispo County residents who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and experience a severe headache, leg or abdominal pain or shortness of breath should seek medical attention, the release said.
For more information on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, visit CDC.gov/coronavirus or janssencovid19vaccine.com.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
