Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Update

vaccine
April 13, 2021
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended a pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. This follows six reported cases of a rare blood clotting event among the approximately 6.8 million U.S. patients who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. None of these reported cases were in Connecticut.

The six individuals to develop a blood clot after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had something in common - low levels of blood platelets. All six cases occurred in women between the ages of 18 and 48. 
The CDC, FDA and Connecticut Department of Public Health all take vaccine safety extremely seriously. Although the reported complications are extremely rare, today’s announcement was made in an abundance of caution. The state is awaiting the results of the CDC and FDA’s investigation before proceeding with any further use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. These results are expected within the next day or so.

If you have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within 13 days of your vaccination, you should contact your health care provider as soon as possible.

Vaccine providers that were planning to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are delaying operations or offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, if available. The Department of Public Health will work with providers to minimize the disruption in vaccine administration. If you were previously scheduled to receive a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you can expect to hear from your provider soon to reschedule your appointment.

The CDC and FDA will make a further determination on use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine later this week.

I will keep you informed of their findings. To learn more please see Governor Lamont's press conference by clicking the image below.