The Utah Department of Health is recommending vaccine providers temporarily pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine due to reports of a rare type of blood clot experienced by six women who received the vaccine. According to a press release, the pause is to allow the FDA and CDC time to investigate these reports. More than 6.8 million J&J doses have been administered in the United States, and only six people have reported experiencing these blood clots. Around 77,000 J&J doses have been administered in Utah with no reports of blood clots.
UDOH executive director Rich Saunders said even though the pause will inevitably slow down efforts to vaccine Utahns in the long run, it's the right thing to do. He also said in order to maintain public trust of the COVID-19 vaccines, “reports like these must be taken seriously and fully to determine what role, if any, the vaccine played.”
If you received the J&J vaccine more than a month ago, your risk for severe reactions is very low, according to the UDOH. However, here are side effects to look out for: leg pain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe headaches.
