CANTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending a pause in use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine variant.

The pause will allow the health care system time to prepare to treat patients appropriately, and to report severe events they may be seeing in people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, said a press release from the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department.

As of April 12th, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the U.S.

Currently, the CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving the six reported cases of the rare and severe blood clotting. In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. Alternative treatment for this specific type of blood clot may be necessary than what is typically administered.

People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last few weeks should be aware of any symptoms:

• Severe headache

• Abdominal pain

• Leg pain

• Shortness of breath

If you develop any of the above symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and seek medical treatment right away, Public Health said. At this time, the risk is very low to individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than a month ago.

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. The CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday from 1:30-4:40 p.m. to further review these cases and assess their potential significance.

COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination are taken very seriously.

Importantly, these events have not been seen with the other two vaccines. People who have vaccination appointments to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine should continue with their appointments.

The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department is hosting a Moderna Vaccine Clinic this Thursday, April 15 at the Leithead Field House at St. Lawrence University in Canton from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Register here or find the registration link on the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department website: https://www.stlawco.org/Departments/PublicHealth.

For assistance with the registration process or for questions, call the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department at 315-386-2325.