Lincoln Trail Health Department suspends use of J&J vaccine in scheduled clinics

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 — The Lincoln Trail District Health Department announced Tuesday that the FDA has recommended pausing the use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after the administration of 6.8 million doses across the United States.

The temporary pause will allow officials to investigate preliminary reports regarding the development of a rare type of blood clot in six individuals.

This type of condition is extremely rare – less than one person per one million doses given. Data indicates all six cases occurred in women with low blood platelets ages 18 to 48 years old, six to 13 days after vaccination.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lincoln Trail District Health Department is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at its planned vacination clinics until further notice.

The schedule clinics using the Moderna vaccine will take place as planned.

The Moderna vaccine works differently than the Janssen vaccine by utilizing messenger RNA technology. Messenger RNA teaches our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, protects us from getting infected if the actual virus enters our bodies, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Patients with appointments for canceled clinics will be notified using the contact information submitted at the time the appointment was scheduled.

When additional information becomes available, we will notify the public with our media partners’ assistance. You can also visit our website at www.ltdhd.org for the latest updates.

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