State pauses use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

State officials responding to an alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Food and Drug Administration have paused all use of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while reviewing six cases of severe blood clots following vaccinations.

The decision was made on Tuesday, April 13, in advance of an emergency meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday, April 14, to look into the cases of women, aged 18-48, who suffered from rare blood clots within six to 13 days after receiving the J&J vaccine.

In these cases, the CDC said, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets. One of the women died.

As of April 12, 11,187 of the 35,500 doses of J&J vaccine allocated to the state had been administered, from sites ranging from pharmacies and outpatient clinics to federally qualified health centers and local public health authorities.

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services officials said individuals who have received the J&J vaccine should contact their health care provider if they develop severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination.

Those who were scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine in Alaska should be aware that their appointment is being canceled or postponed. Residents can reschedule appointments to receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine by calling the Alaska Vaccine Helpline at 1-907-646-3322 or toll-free at 1-833-482-9546.

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Administration of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against the novel coronavirus is continuing nationwide, including in Alaska. Both are considered extremely safe and effective, DHSS said.

State epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin said that the pause is an important part of the process that ensures the safety of the pandemic vaccines.

This is how our safety checks work,” he said. “DHSS is notifying vaccine providers via email and phone calls this morning and is also providing information to all health care providers.  Alaskans should also know this appears to be a very rare event, with six cases out of 6.8 million doses of J&J vaccine administered to date.”

The six cases, none of them in Alaska, were flagged in the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, part of the national post-licensure vaccine safety monitoring program.

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