The Wyoming Department of Health is recommending all state health care providers temporarily stop giving the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to patients due to reports of the vaccine being linked to a rare form of blood clotting.
This recommendation Tuesday came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration suggested healthcare providers stop giving the vaccine.
There have been six reported cases of women between the ages of 18 to 48 across the U.S. developing blood clots within six to 13 days after receiving that particular vaccine.
“The action recommended by the CDC and FDA is a clear illustration the high levels of caution associated with the overall vaccination effort,” WDH spokeswoman Kim Deti told Cowboy State Daily Tuesday morning. “This is a temporary pause to look a little closer at some extremely rare situations.”
The department sent out a message to all health care providers across the state on Tuesday morning.
“Effective immediately, WDH asks Wyoming providers to temporarily cease administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pending additional recommendations from the FDA, CDC, and ACIP,” the letter from the department said. “Providers are asked to continue to store the vaccine pending further direction.”
As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been administered in the United States. Wyoming had administered 9,950 doses of the vaccine as of Tuesday morning, and had received a total of 24,400 doses.
The blood clot events appear to be rare, but serious. The CDC will meet with an advisory committee on Wednesday to review these cases and asses their potential significance.
Individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination are advised to contact their health care provider.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third of the available coronavirus vaccines that have come on the market, but it was only released within the last six weeks.
A total of 117,086 Wyomingites have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, meaning they are completely vaccinated against the virus.
