For Immediate Release: April 29, 2021
Contact: Jessica Good, Public Information Manager
Email: JGood@ochca.com
County of Orange Resumes Administration of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Starting Sunday, May 2, 2021
(Santa Ana, CA) — On Thursday, April 29, the County of Orange will make Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccination appointments available through the Othena platform and the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834-2000 and will resume administering J&J on Sunday, May 2.
“Community members are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help slow the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, County Health Officer and Director of the OC Health Care Agency. “The County now offers three FDA-authorized vaccines that patients can select from when scheduling an appointment — Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J — so that individuals have a variety of options to choose from. All vaccines are proven to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization or death from COVID-19.”
On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they would accept the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations to lift the pause on the J&J COVID-19 vaccination for all adults. According to the CDC, reports of adverse events following the use of J&J vaccine suggest an increased risk of a rare adverse reaction called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Nearly all reports of this serious condition, which involves blood clots with low platelets, have occurred in women 18 to 49 years of age.
Further, Dr. Chau concurs with the findings of the Western States Scientific Safety Review (WSSSR) that the J&J vaccine is safe and effective, and that the risk of developing the rare clotting disorder is low. He also supports recommendations from WSSSR that clinicians have the responsibility to appropriately provide education about the FDA warning prior to vaccine administration so that patients can make informed decisions.
To register in the Othena platform and make a vaccination appointment, please visit www.Othena.com or call (714) 834-2000 for assistance. For updated CDC and California Department of Public Health resources, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/JJUpdate.html and https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/JnJ_factsheet.pdf.
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