Johnson & Johnson vaccine halted

High Desert Medical Group and Kaiser Permanente were offering the vaccine at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds but have since stopped.

The Center for Disease Control has put a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of rare blood clots associated with it.

The concerning news was announced on Tuesday. The action was taken out of an abundance of caution. Those in Los Angeles who were scheduled to receive the shot would instead receive either the Pfizer or Moderna dose. Those looking forward to only having one shot and one appointment were blindsided with the news.

According to the Federal Drug Administration, as of April 12, 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine have been administered in the United States. There have been six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or CVST, that was seen in conjunction with low blood platelet levels (thrombocytopenia).

“All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination,” the FDA reported. “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.”

The FDA stressed that the “adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” but COVID-19 vaccine safety is the federal government’s top priority and they take all reports of health problems following inoculation very seriously.

Those who have received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and are experiencing a severe headache, leg pain, abdominal pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of getting the shot should contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Locally, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was offered at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds a couple of weeks ago.

In fact, as one approached the door, they were told that it was the only vaccine available that day. For now, in accordance with the CDC mandate, Kaiser Permanente and High Desert Medical Group have stopped offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Fairgrounds.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about blood clots related to the vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was also being investigated for similar side effects. That one was tied to 16 patients that suffered from CVST.

Officials worry that this news will cause people to become afraid of getting the vaccine, but have tried to quell those fears by pointing out that only six people out of 6.8 million have experienced the adverse effect.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a CBS interview that there are no negative or adverse or red flag signals coming from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, “which is very good news. In other words, they are safe.”