Raleigh, NC The Johnson & Johnson brand of the COVID-19 vaccine has become popular with the public because of a single dose shot.
However, some local vaccine providers have postponed their use of the J&J vaccine after people experienced adverse reactions on Thursday.
On Saturday, demand for the J&J vaccine was still high at a clinic at UNC Family Medicine on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh.
“Our 200 appointments are full within three days,” said Leslie Hopkins, the clinic administrator.
Wake County reported nearly 20 adverse reactions after the J&J shot of a very small percentage of those who received the shot Thursday in a clinic. Symptoms include nausea, dizziness and fainting in 18 of the more than 2,300 people who received the vaccine at PNC Arena. Wake County will continue to use the shot Sunday.
Hopkins said they ask more questions to people who receive the vaccine, for example if they fainted or were exhausted when blood was drawn in the past. Those who had problems after their shots, according to Hopkins, had previous cases where they got talked out of it.
“We had some questions from patients today,” Hopkins noted.
UNC Health issued a statement on Friday in support of its position that the J&J vaccine is safe.
“We found there was nothing wrong with the vaccine itself,” Hopkins said. “It was just an incident of patients having had situations before.”
Page Swanson was one of the first to receive the J&J vaccine from UNC Health, after saying they would temporarily stop the shot. The announcement comes when he makes his appointment.
“That news came out the same day,” Swanson said. “I have been waiting for the reports to come out about what happened.”
The reactions in Raleigh were not completely isolated. In Georgia, medical officials temporarily stopped at J&J after eight people experienced negative reactions in one place on Wednesday. Similar issues have been reported in Colorado and Iowa.
The CDC says there is no safety issue with the J&J vaccine.
Vaccinations against coronavirus in NC
The latest state information shows that 28.4% of adults in North Carolina are fully vaccinated. You can plan a vaccination for yourself at yourshot.org or by calling (984) 215-5485.