S.Ga. reports no ill effects from 'paused' vaccine

Apr. 16—VALDOSTA — Though the South Health District has paused using the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine, South Georgia has had no reports of adverse effects from people receiving the one-shot dose, health officials said Friday.

With the vaccine only recently being approved for emergency use, the South Health District hasn't distributed it heavily. Only 2,487 doses were distributed between its 10 counties which includes Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift and Turner.

Nationwide, however, 7 million J&J/Janssen vaccines were distributed with about six or seven women — no cases were reported with men — facing heavy side effects after receiving it. The Centers for Disease Control paused distribution of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The reports equate to about one in a million people experiencing side effects including nausea, low-grade fever, aches, severe headaches and vision changes, Dr. William Grow, South Health District director, said.

Some blood clotting occurred, too, as blood platelet counts were affected and shown to be low.

"They think now that what's happening is the body is producing antibodies rarely in some patients that actually affect platelets, activating cells, clotting cells, which lead to blood clots," Grow said. "The more serious blood clots, so far, have been those that are in the veins inside the skull that drain blood from the brain back to the rest of the cardiovascular system."

Reports still show COVID-19 antibodies are produced alongside those antibodies.

The cases are a rare reaction to the vaccine, only occurring in women ages 18-48, so far, but it's still a danger that warrants study.

"This vaccine is introduced to the body like the others, but it's totally different in that it is introduced by an upper respiratory virus — this cold virus that's been inactivated," Grow said. "It uses (it) to introduce the segment of viral material that the body forms antibodies to."

It's then injected into the client. It's a completely different process than what the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use. No cases of adverse effects, such as the ones reported with the Janssen vaccine, have been reported with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Studies on the Janssen vaccine are ongoing as scientists attempt to find commonalities between the reported cases and solutions. The only commonality found as of late this week is only women have experienced the side effects.

Grow said he has not seen nor heard of any reported cases of adverse effects from the Janssen vaccine in the South Health District's 10-county jurisdiction.

Courtney Sheeley, South Health District public information officer, said the Janssen vaccine doses already in inventory are being stored appropriately and labeled "Do not use, awaiting guidance," abiding CDC orders.

"It's not being returned or anything like that because we don't know how long of a pause this will be," Sheeley said. "We don't if they'll lift this next week or next month or ever."

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will still be distributed in their regular capacities — two doses — as the South Health District continues to vaccinate people.