The Minnesota Department of Health is advising medical providers to follow the federal government’s recommendation and temporarily stop administering the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine. It’s been linked to what state officials call an “extremely rare” type of blood clot reported in six people in the U-S. All are women age 18 to 48, and symptoms appeared six to 13 days after vaccination.
The state Health Department says they are not aware of any blood clot cases among the 184-thousand people who have received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in Minnesota, but say anyone experiencing severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after receiving the J&J vaccine should contact their health care provider.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine accounts for just under seven percent of the state’s vaccine supply and anyone scheduled to receive it should get word from their provider about cancellation and rescheduling.