Of the 2,300 Johnson and Johnson vaccines given at the scene Thursday, Wake County officials said 18 patients responded to the vaccine. Four were transported to local hospitals and another fourteen had minor reactions. The other four are being evaluated and are expected to be released.
All reactions occurred during the 15-minute observation period after administration of any COVID-19 vaccine.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single shot, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer two-dose vaccine.
Wake County health officials said the reactions to vaccinations are “consistent with the common side effects known from the vaccine administration.”
The most common side effects are arm pain, fatigue, body aches and, in some cases, low-grade fever.
“We know it can be alarming to hear about or see people who have reactions to vaccination – that’s why we closely monitor those we vaccinate in case of a reaction,” said Wake Public Health Director Kim McDonald. We are currently working with NCDHHS and the CDC to further assess the situation to ensure everyone is confident in the continued safety of our vaccination operations.
An NCDHHS spokesman said in a statement: “We are working with the public health team in Wake County to investigate the reactions to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at an event held today at the PNC Arena. Out of an abundance of precaution, the Wake County Health Department stopped using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at this time. We have not reported any other high reaction rates to any other supplier, but we will continue to investigate. We’ve notified Johnson & Johnson and we’re in contact with the federal government. “
UNC Health initially told ABC11 it would continue to administer J&J vaccines, but later said it had discontinued vaccines for Thursday “out of an abundance of precaution.”
“In the past two days, UNC Health has delivered more than 2,200 doses of J&J to patients at the largest vaccine clinic, Chapel Hill’s Friday Center and our Hillsborough Hospital clinic. We will work closely with our partners, including Wake County and the State of North Carolina, to share any new information. The safety and health of our patients is our top priority, “said a spokesman.
Starting at 6 p.m., Duke Health plans to continue administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Duke Health received the Janssen (J&J) vaccine from the same batch number identified at the vaccine clinic in Wake County, but the shipment was sent directly to Duke without intermediaries. No Duke patients had any serious incidents,” he wrote. Duke spokesman. “The minor side effects of the vaccine were in line with those reported by the manufacturer before the authorization and remain within the expected limits.”
Operations at a mass vaccination clinic in Denver ended Wednesday after 11 people who received Johnson and Johnson vaccinations also had “side effects,” according to ABC affiliate KMGH.
Initially, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment said patients had symptoms such as nausea and dizziness. Nine of the patients were treated on the spot with juice and water.
But on Thursday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said there were “no problems” with the vaccines.
“Maybe they were dehydrated or scared of needles,” Polis told a news conference Thursday. Two people were taken to hospital for observation.
Despite the hospital transport, the side effects reported by the 11 patients were “in line with what can be expected” from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, COVID-19 incident commander Scott Bookman told CNN in a statement.
“We know it can be alarming to hear about people being transported to the hospital, and we want to assure Coloradoans that the CDC and public health are closely monitoring all continuously authorized vaccines,” Bookman said. “Based on everything we know, it remains true that the best vaccine you can get is the one you can get the fastest.”
Johnson & Johnson sent the following statement to ABC News:
“There is no higher priority than the safety and well-being of the people we serve and we carefully examine reports of adverse events in people who receive our medicines and vaccines. Any report about people receiving COVID-19 vaccine and our evaluation report is distributed with the US Food and Drug Administration and other appropriate health authorities. It is part of the established process of informing the comprehensive surveillance programs of the health authorities that monitor the general safety of medicines, as well as the vaccines authorized for use against this pandemic. We collect the necessary information, including from the local vaccination center, to evaluate these reports. “
“It is relatively common to experience side effects from any of the three vaccines available in the United States – about 10% to 15% of vaccine study volunteers have developed ‘fairly visible side effects,'” the former scientific adviser of the operation said later. Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui last year.
Nausea, as experienced by the 11 patients in Colorado, can cause headaches and swelling at the injection site, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Severe side effects, such as an allergic reaction, are much less common, occurring every two to five million people, Dean Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN earlier this month.
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CNN contributed to this report.
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