Colo. site shuts down after shot reactions
A mass vaccination site in Colorado was shut down Wednesday after 11 people suffered “adverse reactions” including nausea and dizziness after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Centura Health said in a statement that it “followed our protocols and in an abundance of caution, made the decision – in partnership with the state – to pause operations for the remainder of the day.”
Two patients were transported to a hospital for observation while EMTs treated the other nine people with juice and water, the state health department said.
More than 1,700 people received shots at the site in Commerce City, a few miles north of Denver, so the issues involved fewer than 1% of the vaccinations. The 640 patients who were unable to receive their vaccine because of the pause will be automatically rescheduled for Sunday, Centura said. The state said the Pfizer vaccine, requiring two doses, will be administered Sunday.
“We know it can be alarming to hear about people getting transported to the hospital,” said Scott Bookman, the COVID-19 Incident Commander. “From what we know, today’s side effects were consistent with what can be expected.”
UK variant now dominant in US
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been warning since January that the highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in Britain would become the dominant strain in the U.S., and that time has arrived. On Wednesday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the variant, formally known as B.1.1.7, is “now the most common lineage circulating in United States.”
Though not surprising, the acknowledgement is significant because B.1.1.7 is considered at least 50% more transmissible, and it’s also more virulent, than the virus’ original strain. The variant is believed to be a major factor in the current surge of infections in Europe as well as the recent increase in U.S. cases after an extended decline. Of the 17,017 variant cases reported in this country, 16,275 are of the U.K. lineage.
The three vaccines authorized in the U.S. have proved effective against the variant, adding further urgency to the nation’s inoculation program.
Other top headlines
• Hawaii announced plans to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults by April 19, the final state to commit to President Joe Biden’s call to lift eligibility requirements by that date.
• A Los Angeles mass vaccination site will allow any adult to stand in line for a vaccine through Sunday after appointments went unfilled in recent days, the governor’s Office of Emergency Services said.
• The University of Notre Dame said it will require students to be fully vaccinated for the fall but will accommodate documented exemptions.