Iowa Department of Public Health continues pause on J&J vaccine, encourages alternatives
(The Center Square) – Iowa state officials addressed concerns about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, especially following the pause of the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“We’ve moved from it being a really scarce supply, which required a ton of patience, and now we’re moving into a space where we really do need to focus on talking with these Iowans who may be on the fence about taking the vaccines or who now have questions, which is completely normal,” Iowa Department of Human Services Director Kelly Garcia said.
Garcia announced that the department, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and University of Iowa are collaborating to host free public virtual information sessions about the vaccines.
The sessions will be held at 10 a.m. April 17 and 6 p.m. April 19, with a session in Spanish at 10 a.m. April 24. The one-hour sessions will include an overview of the vaccines and a moderated question and answer portion.
“We want to ensure all Iowans have the information they need to feel safe and confident in their decision to be vaccinated,” Garcia said.
As she has done in prior news conferences, Gov. Kim Reynolds encouraged all Iowans to receive vaccines as soon as they have an opportunity at her April 14 news conference.
The Linn County Public Health Department will host the first 24-hour vaccine clinic, distributing the Pfizer vaccine, from 9 a.m. April 17 to 9 a.m. April 18 at Alliant Energy Convention Center in Cedar Rapids, Reynolds announced.
Appointments, which are required, can be made by calling 319-892-6097 or on the county’s website.
Reynolds said 1.94 million vaccine doses have been administered in Iowa, and 33% of Iowans are now fully vaccinated. Nearly 90% of Iowans aged 65 and older, 52% in their 50s, 47% in their 40s, 40% in their 30s, and 29% in their 20s have received at least one dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met the afternoon of April 14 regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The committee decided it needs more time to determine whether administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines should continue, and it will reconsider recommendation sometime in the next 10 days, NPR reported.
“The Iowa Department of Public Health is recommending that Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine administration in the state should remain paused until further guidance is issued from ACIP,” Iowa Department of Public Health Public Information Officer Sarah Ekstrand told The Center Square in an emailed statement following the conclusion of the advisory committee’s meeting April 14.
Iowans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the past month should seek immediate medical attention if they experience a severe headache, leg pain, abdominal or shortness of breath, Ekstrand said, reiterating recommendations from a news release the department issued April 14. The department is not aware of any such cases occurring among Iowans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the release stated.
“The State is working with local public health and other vaccine providers to substitute Moderna and Pfizer vaccines where Johnson & Johnson has been allocated,” the release stated.
“IDPH was informed that the Johnson & Johnson allocation to the state will be suspended for the next two weeks. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine represents a relatively small percentage of the allocation Iowa has received to date, so at this time, the pause is not anticipated to dramatically slow the pace of vaccinations in the state.”
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