Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group in Trenton and Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic in Princeton announced that their next COVID-19 vaccination clinics are set for Thursday, April 29 and Thursday, May 6 in Princeton (Mercer County Clinic), and Friday, April 30 and Friday, May 7 in Trenton (Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group). The vaccination clinics are open to all area residents, 18 and older. Appointments are still available.
The vaccine administered will be the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one shot. Patients must plan to be monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.
Previously, the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused to assess a rare, but serious, adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Reported cases have typically occurred in women 50 years and younger within 3 weeks of vaccination. After review, the CDC and FDA recommended resuming the use of Johnson & Johnson as the benefits of vaccination outweigh potential risks.
“The vaccines that are currently approved, including the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, have been proven to work in reducing the impact of COVID-19,” said Khannah Smith, MD, Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group. “The risks of what might happen to a person who gets COVID-19 greatly outweigh the possible risks associated with any of the approved vaccines. As more people get the vaccine, our chances of returning to normal life increase as well.”
As of late April 2021, only 15 TTS cases had been reported out of more than 8 million doses given in the United States. Women 50 years and younger should be aware of this potentially rare issue and contact their provider if they have specific questions.
The pause in the J&J vaccine demonstrates that patient safety is critically important to the medical community. The safety review of the J&J vaccine suggests an extremely low risk of TTS. Other vaccines such as Pfizer or Moderna have not shown similar concerns. Saint Luke’s recommends all COVID-19 vaccines that have been given Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA, including Johnson & Johnson.
To schedule an appointment, call Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group at 660-358-5750, or Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic at 660-748-4040.
