Trempealeau County Health Statement on Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Pause

WHITEHALL, Wis.-The Trempealeau County Health Department continues to partner with Gundersen Tri-County and Mayo Clinic in Arcadia to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC and FDA recommend vaccinators plus administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. In six cases out of 6.8 million Johnson & Johnson doses given in the U.S., patients reported a rare and severe type of blood clot. In all six cases, women between the ages of 18 and 48 reported symptoms six to 13 days after vaccination.

What you should know:

This pause is appropriate and proof the national monitoring of the COVID-19 vaccine is working well.

Instances of blood clots are rare, but we need to make sure the vaccine is safe. Additional study will provide these answers.

Trempealeau County Public Health Department has provided 50 Johnson & Johnson doses to patients in Trempealeau County, with no severe reactions reported.

Gundersen Tri-County Hospital and Clinics in Whitehall have never received or administered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Tri-County has only been allotted and administered the Moderna vaccine.

Mayo Clinic in Arcadia has provided 61 Johnson & Johnson doses to patients in Trempealeau County, with no severe reactions reported.–updated 4/14/2021

Gundersen Health System staff have provided 1,227 Johnson & Johnson doses and Mayo Clinic Health System staff have provided just under 700 Johnson & Johnson doses to patients across their systems, since April 1.

No severe reactions have been reported among those who have received Johnson & Johnson vaccine from Gundersen or Mayo Clinic.

We will store doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still on hand at our locations and wait for guidance from the CDC and FDA.

If you or a patient received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, seek medical attention if your leg or arm begins to cramp, swell, or becomes warm to the touch. Please share gundersenhealth.org/vaccineor co.trempealeau.wi.us/coronaviruswith patients and anyone else who would like more information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

For health information and referral services in Wisconsin:

Well Badger Resource Center: call 800-642-7837, help@wellbadger.org, www.wellbadger.org

Great Rivers 2-1-1: call 2-1-1, text your zip code to 898211, www.greatrivers211.org

(Release from the Trempealeau County Health Department)