Denver (KDVR) — The J&J vaccine has already been administered to 6.8 million people in this country.
Federal officials say there are now six reports of blood clots in women ages 18 to 48. One of those women died, and another is in critical condition.
Right now, it is unclear if the vaccine caused the clots. That is what investigators are looking into.
Dr. Michelle Barron, medical director of infection prevention at UCHealth, says if you received a J&J vaccine, your risk is incredibly small.
“If you have had no symptoms, and you are feeling well, and you received the vaccine, you should feel confident that you are protected against COVID, and that is actually far more likely a risk than it would have been developing one of these complications,” she said.
But doctors say if you received the vaccine in the last few weeks, you should be on the lookout for symptoms, and if you develop any, contact your provider.
“The symptoms mimic a stroke. You can have a severe headache. You can have blurred vision. You can start losing your ability to speak, or have slurring of your speech, or you might notice that your hands or your arms aren’t working properly,” Barron said.
Some patients with a blood clotting disorder contacted our station wondering what they should do if they received the vaccine.
“If you are beyond that 21-day window then you are probably going to be just fine. If you are in those early phases, then I would strongly recommend obviously paying attention to any symptoms and probably consulting with your consultant or your provider,” Barron said.
UCHealth facilities did not receive J&J vaccines. Neither did HealthONE. But leaders at both hope Coloradans will continue to get vaccinated.
“I would say that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have a track record of being safe vaccines, and I would continue to encourage people to receive those,” said Jason Blauwet, pharmacy director at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver.