Darien Health Department issued advice Tuesday morning to anyone who took the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, after reports of rare blood-clotting from others who have taken it.
“People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”
In another COVID-19 related announcement, three Stamford Hospital physicians will answer questions from the public about the coronavirus in an online event Wednesday evening sponsored by Darien Library.
Federal officials have suggested a pause in using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Darien Health Department does not use it, the department said in the announcement (full text, below).
Out of 6.8 million J&J doses, six people are known to have experienced blood clots after taking it, the town announcement said.
Discussion With Q&A on COVID-19
Darien Library is hosting the discussion with three Stamford Hospital physicians at 6:30 p.m.: Drs. Asha K. Shah, MS; Arzhang Fallahi; and Salvatore A. Del Prete, a fellow of the American College of Physicians.
These will be among the topics covered during the event, according to the library announcement:
—What is the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic: variants, vaccinations, and more?
—What are the latest developments in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, and other conditions?
—What can you be doing right now to protect the health of your family?
Image from the poster for the event
The three physicians speaking at the online event.
First Selectman Jayme Stevenson will introduce the three doctors.
You can register here for this 6:30 p.m., Wednesday event, which is, again, online. It is expected to end by 8 p.m.
Full Text of Health Department Announcement
The town Health Department released this statement Tuesday morning:
Early this morning, the U.S. FDA and CDC issued a joint statement recommending a pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine following six reported U.S. cases of a rare blood clotting event.
Although these events are rare, and none have occurred in Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that COVID vaccine providers pause on administration of J&J vaccine for the time being while the FDA and CDC complete their review.
Of 6.8 million individuals who have received the J&J vaccine nationally, six individuals have developed a rare and severe type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) within two weeks of receiving their vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between age 18–48 years.
Roughly 100,000 Connecticut residents have received the J&J vaccine with no reported serious adverse events.
The Darien Health Department takes vaccine safety extremely seriously. Although the reported complications are extremely rare, we will await the results of the investigation before proceeding with further use of the J&J vaccine.
Please note that all scheduled clinics sponsored by the Town will continue as planned using Moderna vaccine exclusively.
People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.