New Hampshire To Pause Use Of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

CONCORD, NH — Several people suffering from blood clots weeks after being administered the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has led both the federal and state government to stop issuing the shots.

Gov. Chris Sununu made the announcement on Tuesday after both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended the pause after one woman died and another in critical condition due to the shots. Other states have also stopped administering the shots but around 7 million people have already received them.

"Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare," Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC and Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA said in a joint statement. "COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously."

COVID-19 vaccine safety "is a top priority" and all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination "are taken very seriously," health officials said. The CDC said those who have received the J&J vaccine and develop severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath, within three weeks after vaccination, should contact their healthcare providers.

Sununu said health officials were working with regional partners in the state's public health networks to ensure there are Pfizer or Moderna shots available to New Hampshire residents who have appointments.

"This news will not slow down New Hampshire," he said.

The shots have also had other problems — including an elderly man in Virginia who had a reaction to the shot, creating a severe rash that spread all over his body.

Unlike Pfizer or Moderna shots, which require two doses, separated by a few weeks, J&J was a single shot treatment. It was approved by the FDA for emergency use only. The shot uses a "viral vector" process, using a "modified version" of the virus as the base of its treatment. That piece of the virus, known as a "spike protein," triggers the body's immune system to produce antibodies and activate immune cells to fight the infection. This process allows the body to fight future infection — but some scientists worry that an overactive immune system can cause future health problems later in life.

In clinical trials, the J&J shot was around 66 percent effective, according to the CDC.

The exact number of Granite Staters who have received the J&J shot is unknown at post time but it is in the tens of thousands range. As of Monday, more than 304,000 New Hampshire residents have been fully vaccinated — about 22.4 percent of the population.

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