By Liz Holland

Salisbury-area clinics that were offering the one-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine have switched to two-dose Pfizer or Moderna after state health officials last week suspended the use of J&J due to concern over blood clotting issues.

TidalHealth, which operates the mass vaccination site at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, announced it has switched over to the Pfizer vaccine which is the only one approved for 16- and 17-year-olds. Teens under age 18 must bring a parent or guardian to sign a consent form.

To sign up for appointments visit massvax.maryland.gov.

The Wicomico County Health Department said that anyone with an appointment to receive the J&J vaccine will receive a call letting them know they can keep their appointment as long as they agree to receive the Moderna vaccine instead.

Last week, Maryland health officials paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the recommendation of the Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after rare blood clots were reported.

“Based on the federal government’s recommendation and out of an abundance of caution, the Maryland Department of Health directs all Maryland Covid-19 vaccine providers to pause the administration of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines until further federal guidance is issued,” the department said in a news release. “Providers should continue to maintain their supplies of Johnson & Johnson vaccines in a manner that prevents wastage.”

Out of more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was reported in six women under the age of 50 between six to 13 days after getting a shot.

One of the women died and another is in critical condition, federal health officials said.

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare, health officials said.

People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.

The CDC and FDA are reviewing data, but “until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” officials said.

 Current numbers

 As of Tuesday, Wicomico County has had 7,331 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 152 deaths. Health officials also reported that 33,081 county residents have received the first dose of either Moderna or Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines, 24,463 have gotten a second dose and 2,392 got a Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine.

The patient count in Somerset is now 2,521 with 37 deaths. First doses of vaccine have gone to 5,973 residents, 4,362 have gotten second doses and 556 got single doses.

Additional cases have also been confirmed in Worcester County, which now reports 3,516 people as having the virus and 95 deaths. So far 22,335 people have gotten their first shots, 16,501 had a second dose and 1,629 got a single dose.

Dorchester County counts 2,623 cases, 49 deaths, 10,054 first doses of vaccine, 7,261 second shots and 1,671 single doses. There are 2,232 reported cases in Caroline County with 24 deaths, 9,469 first vaccinations, 7,160 second doses and 2,182 single doses.

Statewide in Maryland, 437,584 cases have been confirmed, with 8,406 confirmed deaths and 186 probable deaths. The current hospitalization totals of people with the virus stands at 1,282. The number of people in intensive care is 310.

As of Tuesday, the state has administered more than 3.9 million doses of vaccine, with more than 1.6 million people now fully vaccinated.

Across Maryland, more than 3.28 million people have tested negative for the virus.

Nationally, there are now more than 31.7 million cases with 567,729 deaths. Roughly 77.4 million people are fully vaccinated.