Park County Public Health Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID19 Vaccine

Park County, Colo. - Park County Public Health has paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine until further notice. This decision complies with guidance from state and federal health officials requiring all providers to pause administration after six cases of blood clots associated with the doses were reported nationwide. 

“Vaccine safety and the health and safety of the residents we serve is a top priority.” said Lynn Ramey, Director of Park County Public Health. “We believe this pause will only last a few days and appreciate a cautious and thorough approach,” continued Ramey.

On April 13, federal health officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of six individuals in the U.S. who got rare and severe blood clots after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

These adverse events appear to be extremely rare. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects. 

Here is what to know right now if you have already received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine: 

• If you received the J&J vaccine more than a month ago, you are at very low risk of serious side effects. 
• If you received the J&J vaccine within the last three weeks and you develop any of the following symptoms, please contact your doctor right away: 
  • severe headache, backache, new neurologic symptoms, severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, leg swelling, petechiae (tiny red spots on the skin), or new or easy bruising.
• These symptoms are different from the flu-like symptoms people may experience after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. 
• Once you contact your healthcare provider, then the provider will report any adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse EventReporting System (VAERS).

What has happened with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a sign that the federal vaccine safety monitoring systems are working well. Federal health officials were able to find a rare, serious adverse event that happens in less than one in 1,000,000 people.

PCPH clinics will continue to offer the Moderna vaccine to anyone 18 and older. Check out locations and register for an appointment at the PCPH Vaccine Resource Portal.

If you have general questions about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or other COVID-19 vaccine, visit covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq or call 1-877-COVAXCO (1-877-268-2926) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Multiple languages are available. 

For information about Park County’s COVID-19 Response and to access resources, please visit our COVID19 Response website.

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