CMS is sharing an update from the CDC:
On April 13, 2021, CDC and FDA recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine pending an investigation into six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals who received the vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and CDC takes all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously.
If any residents or staff in your facility develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks of receiving the J&J vaccine, please seek medical care, and report the event to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.
CDC has notified all federal pharmacy partners about the recommendation to pause the use of the J&J vaccine and is exploring options to minimize any potential interruption in ongoing access to vaccine for long-term care facility (LTCF) residents and staff. Importantly, CDC is not seeing these events with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
We realize there may be concern among LTCF staff and residents who have received the J&J vaccine, but it’s important to note these adverse events appear to be extremely rare — with six reported cases out of more than 6.8 million doses of J&J vaccine administered in the US. All of the cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, with symptom onset 6 to 13 days after vaccination.
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