Havre reacts to COVID-19 vaccines, pause on Johnson & Johnson option

During the process of Havre Daily News interviewing local residents about their experience in receiving a vaccination for COVID-19, new information has put a pause on part of the vaccinations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended a "pause" in the use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine after concerns about potential serious side effects were raised.

After nearly 7 million people have received the vaccine, the only one approved for use in the United States that requires only one shot, CDC and FDA are investigating reports of six people who developed serious blood clot issues after they were vaccinated.

Havre Daily News spoke to community members at Gary & Leo's Fresh Foods, the only vaccination site in Hill County using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, to find their experience in being vaccinated.

Gary & Leo's has paused in its use of vaccination with Johnson & Johnson's vaccine until further recommendations from CDC and FDA are made.

Fort Belknap Indian Reservation reported does not use any Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Rocky Boy Health Center reported it has received some of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but has not administered it and has pulled it from availability.

A release from Blaine County Health Department said it continues to closely monitor guidance for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and will continue distribution of Moderna doses at this time.

The manager of Gary & Leo's said he had no serious side effects when he was vaccinated.

"(Getting vaccinated) feels fine. I haven't experienced any side effects other than the first evening I felt like I had the flu. I felt fine the next morning. I was drowsy the next day because I didn't sleep very well that night," Tracy Job said.

Job received the single shot J&J/Janssen vaccine at the Gary & Leo's Health Mart.

He said Gary & Leo's is following the CDC and FDA recommendation by pausing the administering of the J&J/Janssen vaccine.

"I will (recommend others get vaccinated) as soon as the CDC releases it again," Job said. "As you know, it's in a pause situation right now. (There have been) some issues with the Johnson & Johnson single shot vaccine. So, you know, we're respecting their guidance anyway, we're holding on to the shots until they release them again. So, right now they're gonna flush out those problems, I would hope, whatever they might be".

A CDC fact sheet said six cases of a rare and severe blood have been identified out of the nearly 7 million people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination.

As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J/Janssen vaccine have been administered.

For people who got the vaccine more than a month ago, the risk to them is very low at this time.

People who received the J&J/Janssen vaccine within the last few weeks should be mindful of severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath. They should contact their health care provider and seek medical treatment.

The CDC was convening a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices today from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. The FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases.

Gary & Leo's patron Donald Shettel was vaccinated roughly a month ago, although he did not specify if he received the single shot vaccine.

"(I've experienced) no side effects at all," Shettel said. "My whole family got (vaccinated) besides my youngest son, but he isn't old enough to get it."

No other patrons or employees mentioned any negative side effects following vaccination.

"I have a single dose. ... The day after it felt like somebody punched me in the arm but other than that, I've been fine. ... I think everybody should get vaccinated," Gary & Leo's employee Billy Lavenger said.

Lavenger added the rest of his household has been vaccinated and reacted well.

One patron said he had previous exposure to COVID-19.

"I already had COVID, so I think I'm immune. ... just as good as the vaccine," Darren Potter said.

The CDC disagrees, addressing this exact matter in the "Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination" section of its website.

"You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That's because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible-although rare-that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again," the site said.

"If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine," the post on the website said.

"Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19 in real-world conditions. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available," it added.

The CDC also pointed out multiple vaccination options are available and the organization is not seeing these side effects occur with the other two vaccines available. What matters most is getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Do not wait for a specific brand. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another," the site said.

The CDC does address common side effects of vaccination but the side effects weren't specific to the J&J/Janssen vaccination at the time of this writing.

General side effects include "pain, redness, and swelling in the arm where you received the shot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea throughout the rest of the body. These side effects could affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days."

"I had both (shots.) I had the Moderna. I had a sore arm and that was it but. ... I didn't have a fever, I didn't have anything." Gary & Leo's employee Lois Leeds said.

Based on Leeds' experience, she also recommended others follow suit by getting vaccinated.

The CDC said people who have vaccine appointments for the other two vaccines should continue with their appointment. CDC partners are working with people to reschedule if they set to get the J&J/Janssen option.

French media outlet FRANCE 24 interviewed last week U.S. immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and White House chief medical adviser.

Fauci explained his stance on vaccination scepticism, saying, "We encourage people very strongly to get vaccinated because these vaccines are highly effective, we know that.

"So we encourage people, both for their own safety, for the safety of their family and ultimately for the safety of their community and their country to get vaccinated, because the larger proportion of people that get vaccinated, the more quickly you will get the epidemic and the pandemic under control," he added.

Fauci told NBC News today that the J&J/Janssen vaccine pause was a decision made "out of an abundance of caution."

"I don't think this is going to drag out. ... Don't worry very much. It's a very, very rare event," he added.