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Baker: Halt of Johnson & Johnson vaccine should mean only 'minimal disruptions' to Massachusetts vaccinations
By adamg on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 12:18pm
Gov. Baker said Johnson & Johnson vaccine vials make up only a small percentage of doses being sent to Massachusetts, so yesterday's federal announcement of a halt in its use won't significantly delay vaccinations here.
At a press conference this morning, Baker said the state still plans to open registration for shot appointments to everybody in the state over 16 on Monday. He estimated that it is currently taking roughly two to three weeks for somebody who is eligible to get an appointment.
Baker said that this week, the state got 340,000 doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for this week, but just 11,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so he's expecting "minimal disruptions to scheduling new appointments."
He added that none of the six blood-clot cases reported in women who'd gotten a Johnson & Johnson shot - among nearly 7 million people who have received the vaccine - were in Massachusetts. Still, he said if anybody who's gotten one of the shots recently experiences symptoms that can include serious abdominal or leg pain or headaches - rather than the more normal flu-like symptoms - should contact their health-care provider immediately.
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Comments
Makes a locally big difference, though
Reservoir Church on Rindge Avenue in North Cambridge was scheduled to hold a week-long vaccination clinic this week, specifically for people in the surrounding neighborhood. They had to cancel it because all of the vaccines were Johnson & Johnson.
Same here in Revere
Free J&J Vaccines were scheduled for this weekend (Revere residents only). It's yet to be cancelled but I can't see it moving forward given the news.
That may be
But it doesn't affect Charlie Baker, which is the main thing.
Not Baker's fault
I have no problem with blaming Baker for things under his control, but this is not one of them.
State programs weren't getting much J&J
Federally supplied vaccine programs are a whole different issue.
And Baker has no authority over federal supply.
CVS, Walgreens, and clinics associated with national initiatives are taking a big hit. Those include the one that Ron Newman mentioned, but also the Rutland Emergency Management Center one that my son was signed up for next week.
The supercenters have been running on Pfizer for some time, and most local efforts to vaccinate seniors in senior housing are using Moderna. Those are state supplied and won't see impacts - except for the people becoming eligible on April 19 who won't be able to do the drive through and special high impact clinics that were getting Jansen from the feds.
The Marshfield Fair grounds drive-through site...
...has been offering both J&J and Pfizer. Not on the same day, of course, so it’s luck-of-the-draw determining what you get. When I went Monday afternoon, they were giving J&J. The fellow from the Fire Dept who gave me the shot said when asked that they usually did J&J 2-3 days a week. I felt I had lucked out since I don’t drive & have to rely on my sister to take me. So I was only imposing on her once. Yesterday’s kerfuffle initially gave me pause until the details began to come out. I’ll be vigilant, but I feel fine- no reactions, no painful arm. The staff was efficient and personable. I was on my way home in 15 minutes, 10 of those the waiting period to assure you don’t have an allergic reaction
A good thing about having three different vaccines
is that we can afford to have a temporary halt on one and the whole process, though slowed down a bit, won't stop.
This state's real problem has always been getting the appointments, not the vaccine supply.
Wow!
I'm fully vaccinated, through both doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, and am glad of it, but the fact that there are still so many at-risk communities, and not enough people have been vaccinated is rather unsettling.
Getting on the state website was utterly impossible, so I went to my healthcare provider center (the Kenmore location of Harvard Atrius, in Boston) to get the doses, and I'm glad of it.
The state website's rather tough.
I know from personal experience. Glad I went back to my HCP center in order to be vaccinated.