Reynolds: J & J vaccine pause should have minimal impact on Iowa

(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says the halting of the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine should not have a big impact on the state's effort to vaccinate Iowans against the virus. Reynolds says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be used instead of of the J & J vaccine. Several colleges and universities had been planning on using the single dose vaccine for students before the end of the semester.

Reynolds says the state was expecting a reduction in J & J allotments this week, so the adjustments that need to be made now are manageable. The CDC and FDA have suspended use of the vaccine due to rare blood clots found in a half dozen women, among nearly 7 million doses given in the U.S.

Reynolds and her husband Kevin received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. She says she had mild symptoms hours after getting the vaccine, including a mild headache and fatigue. She says the next day she felt fine.

Nearly 1.9 million doses of a COVID vaccine have been given in Iowa so far, and 33-percent of the state's population has had a least one dose. Nearly all Iowans age 65 and over have been vaccinated.

Reynolds says 52-percent of Iowans in their 50s have received a vaccine, 47-percent of Iowans in their 40s, have done son. Forty-percent of Iowans in their 30s have received a shot. Twenty-nine-percent of Iowans in their 20s have been vaccinated.

State health officials say now that vaccination rates are rising, they'll focus on targeting population groups that are lagging behind. To that end, the state is planning one-hour, virtual information sessions, in English and Spanish. The first one is April 24th. Registration is required.

The Linn County Health Department will host it's first 24-hour vaccination clinic this weekend at the Alliant Energy Convention Center in Cedar Rapids. It runs from Saturday at 9 a.m. to Sunday 9 a.m. Appointments are required.


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