COLLEGE STATION, TX — After a momentary pause on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine distribution. The CDC and FDA have reviewed the reported cases and determined clinics can resume their efforts. Now, what does this mean moving forward?
Exactly two weeks ago the CDC and FDA recommended a temporary pause on the J&J vaccine. After looking into the cases, they have announced clinics can continue distributing the vaccine.
The CDC announced last week that vaccination clinics can return offering the J&J vaccine. The Texas A&M student health services are still holding on to about two thousand doses.
“We’re just waiting a little bit longer," said Dr. Matha Dannenbaum, Director for Texas A&M Student Health Services. "Once we get that particular guidance from particularly the state. We will launch that, so hopefully within the next week,”
Once the university receives clear guidelines from the state, they’ll open their availability for the J&J vaccine, but this does raise questions on how to do so.
“How do we navigate moving forward if we have more than one type of vaccine to administer?” Dr. Dannenbaum, said. “A mechanism for people who want J&J to schedule for J&J and a mechanism for those who want to stay with Pfizer or Moderna and how do they schedule, so that we can ensure when they get to the vaccination site their getting what they signed up to get,”
They plan to rework the logistics as well as provide additional information to those who receive the J&J vaccine moving forward.
According to the CDC this rare form of blood clots found in the cases reported had a correlation with low platelets.
“There’s many factors associated with blood clotting but what they’ve determined in these most serious cases is that the individuals have low platelets but they have these clotting conditions,” said, Dr. Dannenbaum.
The transient student population at Texas A&M would benefit most from having the J&J vaccine as an option.
“It’s just a one time and done," Katherine Jaffe, Freshman at Texas A&M. "I understand the appeal to it and if that’s what you accessible to you then that’s what you should do,”
The CDC also announced everyone 16 years and older can now receive a vaccine, so although people may be fearful to get the J&J vaccine, there are other available options.
According to the cases the CDC and FDA have evaluated, they have collected 15 confirmed cases and three deaths after developing a rare blood clot reaction.
Those who are experiencing symptoms should utilize the V-Safe program to report their reactions and allow experts to monitor the severity of each case.
The CDC and FDA say the benefits outweigh the known potential risks.
”I think that people should just listen to that and weigh out the pros and cons and being cautious and saying was this really worth the fallback of what could happen if you take it,” Jaffe added.
The student health services vaccination effort will continue in the meantime. They are currently utilizing 1,100 first doses of Pfizer and a little over 2,000-second doses.
Of those second doses, they'll be providing at least 1,000 to the College of Medicine to utilize as well.
Although the pause has been lifted the CDC and FDA have clearly advised females under the age of 50 to be aware of the increased risk of possible adverse reactions.
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