Yahoo Movies Scheduled for a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the KC area? Here’s what you should know
Following federal guidance, many health authorities in the Kansas City metro area are pausing their use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. While some have switched course and will use a different manufacturer, others have asked patients to reschedule their appointments.
Kansas and Missouri suspended distribution of J&J’s Janssen coronavirus vaccine Tuesday, as federal health authorities review data from six reported cases of individuals in the United States who developed a rare and severe type of blood clot after receiving the shot.
J&J is a one-dose vaccine approved for people 18 and older. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.
Here's what you need to know:
Kansas and Missouri switch to Moderna or Pfizer
A large number of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines had been allocated to the Missouri National Guard, which helps organize mass vaccination events, as well as transient populations.
Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman with the Missouri health department, said Tuesday that more than 303,000 vaccines have been administered to date through state-supported mass vaccination and targeted events. These events have used Pfizer, Moderna and the J&J vaccine.
For those planning to attend one of the mass vaccination events, the National Guard switched to Moderna in cases where J&J had been planned, Cox said.
Any other large state-supported vaccination events Tuesday also switched to Moderna, a two-dose vaccine.
Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said some clinics scheduled for Tuesday morning had been put on hold.
Kansas will recommend groups and organizations providing vaccinations shift over for now to Moderna and Pfizer, he added.
The first doses of the J&J vaccine were received in Kansas the week of March 1, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
As of an April 8 update from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the following week’s J&J projections were at 5,000 doses.
Health officials said the news about the J&J vaccine could put a mass vaccination clinic in the works for May at Worlds of Fun in jeopardy. No further information on the event — a partnership with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency — has been released at this time.
County vaccination events halt single dose
The Platte County Health Department is asking anyone who had a J&J vaccine scheduled for Tuesday to reschedule through Missouri’s vaccine navigator system or to call 1-877-435-8411.
PCHD will pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after recommendations from the FDA & Centers for CDC. Anyone who has an appt for the J&J vaccine today 4/13/21 is asked to reschedule their appt through MO's Vaccine Navigator system https://t.co/g2M687MVj9 or call 1-877-435-8411.
— Platte County Health Department (@plattehealth) April 13, 2021
No doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been given by the Clay County Public Health Center and Operation Safe, said Kelsey Neth, a spokeswoman for the Clay County Public Health Center.
“Although Clay County Public Health Center does currently have a small amount of J&J doses in storage, they will not be used until the state gives the the ‘all-clear,’” Neth said.
None of Clay County’s scheduled clinics will be impacted by the pause, she said. Clay County Public Health Center and Operation Safe will continue to administer doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Wyandotte County is also pausing J&J vaccination, according to Janell Friesen, a spokeswoman with Wyandotte County’s Unified Government Public Health Department.
Johnson County will pause J&J vaccination too, according to Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.
The county’s vaccine clinics are administering Pfizer vaccines and to a lesser extent Moderna vaccines. The county was given 7,200 doses of the J&J vaccine, which it reserved mainly for those who might have challenges getting to a second vaccine clinic, such as home-bound residents, people with disabilities and those facing homelessness.
What about local stores giving the J&J vaccine?
A spokeswoman with Hy-Vee said the J&J vaccine was used at very few of their retail locations, though she’s not aware that any Kansas City metro locations had received the J&J formula.
Any distribution of the J&J dose across Hy-Vee has since been paused.
Amanda Applegate, immunization coordinator for Balls Food stores, which owns Sun Fresh, Hen House and Price Chopper stores around the metro, said they’ve also paused giving out the COVID-19 vaccine. About 450 people were scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine across six Kansas City area stores — primarily in Missouri — through the rest of the week.
Applegate said they emailed all those scheduled to notify them of the cancellation Tuesday morning. They’re advising that those with canceled J&J appointments sign up for either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, as they still have appointments openings in Kansas and Missouri for the two-dose shots.
“A vaccine is still the best way to combat this virus,” Applegate said.
Applegate said the question of whether this halting of the J&J vaccine causes any issues with vaccine availability and administration down the road remains to be seen.
What if I already received the J&J vaccine?
Officials are recommending that people who were given the J&J vaccine should contact their doctor if they experience severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks of their shot.
According to the CDC, the reported clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets, the fragments in blood that normally form clots. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died, and all of the cases remain under investigation.
They say those who received Johnson & Johnson vaccine one month or more ago, would be at low risk of the platelet safety concern. Those affected who have experienced this issue saw symptoms within 6-13 days of vaccine administration, Johnson County health officials said.
Symptoms of possible blood clotting include:
• Severe headache
• Abdominal or leg pain
• Shortness of breath
Those who have been vaccinated within the last two weeks with Johnson & Johnson and experience these symptoms, should contact their doctor right away. Treatment of vaccine-related blood clotting is different from traditional blood clotting treatment, Johnson County health officials said.
How to schedule a two-dose vaccine in KC area
Shortcuts to find a vaccine
These tools aggregate vaccine information:
▪ Kansas’ tool is Find My Vaccine, at kansasvaccine.gov/160/Find-My-Vaccine. It shows where doses are going each week but not if the providers actually have any on hand.
▪ Missouri lists vaccine providers at covidvaccine.mo.gov/map but again makes no guarantees on supply.
▪ The Twitter account @kcvaccinewatch lists available appointments, and when they disappear.
▪ vaccinespotter.org: Vaccine Spotter scouts available appointments at select locations — Walgreens, Walmart and Hy-Vee among them — in each state.
▪ goodrx.com/covid-19/vaccine: GoodRx collects vaccine inventory and appointments from thousands of locations across the country.
Note: Vaccine supply is more plentiful in rural areas, which helps people who have the time and transportation.
How do I sign up with my health department?
If you’re eligible for the vaccine, fill out interest surveys through local health departments and they will contact you when you can get an appointment. Again, you can sign up in multiple locations.
Missouri recommends that residents start with the State of Missouri Vaccine Registration first.
▪ City of Kansas City: kcmo.gov/coronavirus. If you need help filling out the form call 311 or 816-513-1313.
▪ Jackson County: jacohd.org/covid-19-vaccine-survey-tool. 816-404-9883.
▪ Johnson County: https://jocovaccine.rsvpify.com/. If you need assistance or a Spanish translator, call 913-715-2819.
▪ Wyandotte County: wycokck.org/COVID-19. If you cannot complete the form online call 311 and dial 1 for the COVID Hotline.
▪ Clay County: operation-safe.com. A community phone line also offers up-to-date vaccine information: 816-415-3250.
▪ Platte County: County residents should register through the Missouri COVID-19 Vaccine Navigator — find the link at plattecountyhealthdept.com. For help, call 877-435-8411.
Can I get a vaccine at my local pharmacy?
Many, but not all, pharmacies are offering COVID shots. Check their websites frequently to see what’s available. They include:
▪ Balls Food, ballsfoodspharmacy.com (includes Hen House, Price Chopper, Sun Fresh and Payless pharmacies). Slots are posted about once a week on Fridays, a company spokeswoman said.
▪Hy-Vee, hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine
▪ Walmart, walmart.com/COVIDvaccine.Appointments show up at midnight.
▪ CVS, cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.
Walgreens, walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19
What about vaccines from hospitals?
Local hospital systems are also offering appointments for the vaccine, but you must fill out their interest forms.
▪ AdventHealth Shawnee Mission: adventhealth.com/coronavirus-resource-hub for alerts about future vaccine clinics. 877-847-8747.
▪ The University of Kansas Health System: kansashealthsystem.com/COVIDVaccineForm. 913-942-6843.
▪ Truman Medical Centers/University Health: trumed.org.
▪ Olathe Health: olathehealth.org. There’s information there for people who are patients and non-patients of the health system.
The Star’s Jonathan Shorman, Lisa Gutierrez, and the Associated Press, contributed.
