Forsyth County, Novant Health, and Wake Forest Baptist Health are all pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after rare blood clots were reported in six patients. Forsyth County's top public health official says the news has already increased vaccine hesitancy.
About 1,600 appointments at the county's most recent weekend mass vaccination event were canceled. That's a no-show rate of about 25%. Public Health Director Joshua Swift says that's more than double the rate they saw at their last event.
“So some of that is becoming more common," says Swift. "But I believe also the increased media attention around the Johnson and Johnson vaccine accelerated the no-show rate.”
Swift emphasized that adverse reactions to the vaccine are extremely rare and that none were reported in Forsyth County.
He says the decision to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not led to any appointment cancellations because supplies of it were already limited. Appointments remain available for the Pfizer vaccine.
The county will stop all outreach efforts related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further guidance is released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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