The FDA’s decision Monday to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine over fears of blood clotting was met with a flurry of activity.
Many healthcare providers have been combatting vaccine hesitancy, and worry about potential unintended consequences of the FDA’s decision to pause administration of the J&J vaccine.
Ryan Engleking, and his team at Engleking RX in Mitchell found out about the decision to pause the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine through media reports early Monday morning. Two of his staff members spent the day on the phone – calling the 200 people who were scheduled to get the J&J vaccine there this week.
“You know, it's challenging, because it changes our workflow a little bit,” he said. “We come in expecting one thing, but in reality, we had to deal with this, and we did it head on. We took it upon us to get a hold of the patients and let them know what was going on.”
Vaccine clinics around the state had to take similar steps. Six thousand were scheduled to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine at a mass clinic this week at the Speedway.
The state quickly shelved those shots and replaced them with the two-dose Moderna vaccine.
DePauw University scrapped its plans to administer the J&J vaccine to 500 students and staff.
Stevie Baker-Watson is DePauw’s associate vice president for campus wellness. She said the university has students, employees, their spouses, and dependents to think of, and they were counting on being able to provide a vaccine.
The state department of health helped the school get doses of the Pfizer vaccine instead.
The government says there are no signs of clots – like ones six women developed after taking the J&J vaccine - with the Pfizer and Moderna shots. But the clot concerns could undermine public confidence in all of the COVID vaccines.
Pharmacists have reported increased skepticism since Tuesday, and an increase vaccine appointment cancellation.
Lynn Thoma is the HealthLinc Pharmacy residency program director. Her clinic in northern Indiana had been administering both J&J and Moderna. She said even though her clinic had enough Moderna to vaccinate everyone scheduled this week, she’s seen a large number of appointment cancellations.
She says when she started drawing up doses Friday, 200 people were scheduled to come in for a shot. By noon, almost 70 had canceled their appointments.
“So, it’s a little disheartening. We just really going to have to fight this hesitancy and encourage people to get the vaccine, she said. “And, also letting people know the best vaccine is the one available today.”
She says before the pause of the J&J vaccine, it was the preferred dose for many of her patients because of the convenience of a one-time dose.
Angela Cox is the Administrator for the Henry County Health Department. She said it’s been a struggle to educate people about the vaccines.
“The main skepticism that I am seeing is not political conspiracy theory, microchips, stuff like that,” she said. “But we're seeing ‘It's just so new, Angela, it's only been out it's not been out a year, how can you trust something that is that new?’”
The setback comes as COVID cases and deaths in Indiana continue to increase. The state topped 700,000 confirmed cases this week with the death toll is inching closer to 13,000. The positivity rate has steadily increased for two months.
Health officials warn that even though infection rates are not as bad as they were in the during the holiday months, cases have increased recently. (Courtesy of the Indiana State Department Of Health)
Engleking said only about half of the people his staff contacted to reschedule their vaccine did.
"So, about half were interested, they want to go ahead and get vaccinated,” Engleking said. “So, they were going to take what they could, what was available, and what they could get. And I would say probably the other half wanted to wait for the Johnson and Johnson.”
But health officials warn the state is in a race against more infectious variants, and getting people vaccinated is the key to preventing a third wave of the virus.
Cox worries some people will use the FDA’s decision as confirmation bias that all vaccines were rushed or unsafe. While she understands the hesitancy, she’s keeping her trust in proven scientific methods.
Around 20% of Hoosiers are considered fully vaccinated.
More than 130,000 have received the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, though none of the reported cases of blood clots have been linked back to Indiana.
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