IOWA - Delivery of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine into Iowa is being suspended for two weeks.
The move comes after vaccine providers were asked to stop using J & J doses because of concerns over blood clots.
The Iowa Department of Public Health says the pace of vaccinations should not be affected as the state's only received a small number of J & J vaccines.
It says it's working to substitute Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the place of scheduled Johnson & Johnson vaccinations.
The department also says it's not aware of any medical complications with the J & J vaccine in the state.
Still IDPH is recommending that anybody experiencing certain symptoms should contact their health care provider or urgent care/ER. The symptoms include
- Severe headache
- Leg pain
- Abdominal pain
- Shortness of breath
IDPH has advised Iowa vaccine providers to pause all Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations until more details are known.
CVS, Hy-Vee and Walmart are members of the federal retail pharmacy partnership for vaccine delivery, and have halted use of the single-dose vaccine,
The federal government says its pause of the J &J vaccine would be in place for "a matter of days," but the exact timetable will depend on how long it takes to review available information and advise vaccine providers on next steps.