Reports of Post-COVID-19 Vaccine Problems May Spark Panic. Here’s What You Need to Know

Recent reports concerning blood clots in six women who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have moved the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to recommend a “pause” in administering that vaccine. The news garnered headlines and “breaking news” bulletins among the mainstream media and lit up social media chats. As such, it’s likely that some patients will present with concerns that having received a COVID-19 vaccine somehow puts their life in danger. Others may look express concern—and doubt—about the getting vaccinated in the future. There are a few things to bear in mind when talking with anxious patients, however. First, while caution and investigation are always warranted when patient safety is called into question for any reason, the patients who experienced clots and low platelet counts are six among some 6.8 million who received the J&J   vaccine. As if those one-in-a-million odds shouldn’t be enough to put concerns at bay, most Americans have been receiving the Moderna and Pfizer versions—neither of which is under investigation for such possible issues. In addition, to keep things in perspective, the U.S. death toll due to the virus is inching toward the 600,000 mark. Nonetheless, if patients present with severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within 3 weeks of receiving the J&J vaccine, consider the possibility that they could be experiencing clots and proceed accordingly.