Health officials recommend ‘pause’ for J&J shots

The recommendation to delay use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson       COVID-19 vaccine has impacted vaccination sites nationwide.  Health officials in Grand Forks have hit the pause button out of an abundance of precaution.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced that they were investigating unusual clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The acting FDA commissioner says she expects the pause to last a matter of days.

Individuals already scheduled for shots at the Alerus Center this week will be offered the Pfizer vaccine instead of J&J.

Grand Forks health officials say vaccine uptake at the Alerus site is slowing down as other locations come on board.   Health Immunization Manager Haley Bruhn says around 1,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will go into arms this week.  Another 1,500 second dose shots will be administered.

Next week around 1,300 appointments are available for those seeking vaccination.   People can still register for open appointments by calling 701-780-6358 or visiting mychart.altru.org.

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