FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2021
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation is following a recommended pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccinations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The recommendation was issued today due to an extremely rare side effect that has occurred in a very small number of patients.
Over 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been given in the U.S. Out of that group, six patients have experienced a type of blood clot that occurs in individuals with low levels of blood platelets. The patients who have experienced the clots have been women aged 18-48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after their vaccinations.
While the CDC and FDA finish conducting their investigation into the matter, NSHC will follow the recommended pause on offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for now. After the investigation, NSHC will inform the public when the vaccine is available again.
NSHC providers will personally be reaching out to patients who have received the vaccination in the last three weeks to share this information. If patients who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccination in the last three weeks are experiencing a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath, they should call their local health care provider. If they have questions about this information, they can contact the Nurse Call Line at 443-6411 or 844-586-8773.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is still an effective vaccine against COVID-19, and patients who received the shot are considered protected against the virus. For those 16 years and older in the region who still need to be vaccinated, NSHC has a large supply of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
