The Brownwood City Council received an update Tuesday morning from the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department which included that the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine will not be used locally for now.  This follows the CDC’s Tuesday recommendation of an immediate pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after six recipients in the United States developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination.

Lisa Dick, Administrator of the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department, addressed the City Council.

“We have provided Johnson & Johnson in our community to a significant number of people, but I also want assure you and let you know what those numbers look like,” Dick said. “There are six cases that had blood clots within the next 90 days of receiving their vaccine out of 7 million vaccines that have been given, so that’s a significantly small number. If you’re looking at the risk we still feel like it’s a relatively safe vaccine, and we know with all medical endeavors there’s at least some minimal risk. We are not providing that vaccine now until the FDA clears it and we know what the risks truly are. We have some in stock now and they will wait there now until a decision is made.”

Also, the large COVID vaccination clinics that have been held at Gordon Wood Stadium and the Depot in the past are being discontinued as well.

“Right now we don’t have plans to hold a large vaccination clinic, instead we are making appointments to do those in our clinic,” Dick said. “We’re also working with different businesses to bring those to their business or address bigger groups, like working with the school district to provide vaccinations at the time they’re getting their physicals. We’re working on some things to get those out there, just not the traditional way that we’ve been doing it the last several months with the big clinics.”