Johnson & Johnson Pause Sends Some Clinics Scrambling, Fuels Worry Of Vaccine Hesitation
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Halting the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine sent some clinics scrambling and closed others down on Tuesday.
It also fueled fears in some.
Jessica Rich admitted she was just a little bit nervous as she walked out the door for her coronavirus vaccination at Luther Burbank High School.
"Since I'm the one who goes out and does the shopping, I wanted to get the vaccine because I'm more vulnerable giving it to them and I don't want them to get sick," said Rich, a mother of four.
She was one of four thousand people who made an appointment for a Johnson & Johnson dose.
"I wanted the one shot and be done," said another man in line.
As news spread about the FDA and CDC's guidance to pause giving out doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, skeptics like Paul Weatherford raised the red flag.
"I feel like I don't want to say this is an 'I told you so,' but I feel like we still should be waiting," said Weatherford.
State health leaders worry about unfilled appointments at clinics statewide -- a sign that parts of the population still have anxiety about getting vaccinated in general.
"Anxiety has a lot of different causes," said Psychologist Diane Powell.
Power says 20 person of the population suffers from anxiety. She says giving information about the costs versus benefits can help.
"The folks inclined to anxiety say, 'Well, I might die. I might be the one in seven million doses that gets a blood clot and dies.' That's focusing on the cost," Powell said. "But more costs are becoming apparent for not getting the vaccine."
She says statistics should alleviate the stress some may feel associated with getting vaccinated - and that, as time goes on and more people are successfully vaccinated without side effects, confidence will build.
"More costs are becoming apparent for not getting the vaccine," Powell said.
Sacramento County's Equivax collaboration clinics, like the one at Luther Burbank High School on Tuesday, automatically switched people to the Pfizer vaccine. Other clinics, like the weekly one for homeless people put on by Sacramento's Loaves & Fishes organization, had to be canceled.
California officials have noted that the Johnson & Johnson shot accounts for only 4 percent of the state's vaccine supply.
