April 21, 2021
Lost Creek Guide
Page 11
Bright Futures Transitions from Upstate Colorado Colorado Halts Distribution of Johnson to the NCMC Foundation and The Weld Trust & Johnson Vaccine After Federal Regulators Effective April 1, 2021, the Weld County Commissioners transitioned the manageRecommend “Pause” Over Blood Clot Reports ment of the Bright Futures program from Upstate Colorado to the NCMC Foundation
More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects. More than 120,000 Coloradans have received the J&J vaccine. •Colorado Sun staff & wire report A box containing the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Hugo, Colorado, on March 19, 2021. The public health department administered 298 doses of the single-shot vaccine and had an additional 20 to give out at a future event. (Brian Malone, Special to The Colorado Sun) The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Tuesday halted, for now, distribution of the coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson, following a decision by federal regulators to investigate concerns over rare blood clots. Though the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, more commonly called the J&J or the Janssen vaccine, makes up the smallest chunk of Colorado’s weekly vaccine allotment, the move is still a stunning hiccup in a vaccination campaign that had been charging ahead. It has an especially big impact on the state’s efforts to reach disadvantaged populations. CDPHE announced that it is ordering Colorado providers that had been administering the J&J vaccine to stop doing so immediately. They are to either swap in another approved vaccine for upcoming appointments or to reschedule those appointments for later. The state canceled its mobile vaccination buses for Tuesday and Wednesday. The buses, which had been administering only the J&J vaccine, are a key part of the state’s strategy to get vaccine to hard-to-reach populations. Earlier Tuesday, federal regulators recommended a “pause” in administration of the J&J vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots. In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating clots in six women that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. None of the women live in Colorado. The clots were observed in the sinuses of the brain along with reduced platelet counts — making the usual treatment for blood clots, the blood thinner heparin, potentially “dangerous.” More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects. More than 120,000 Coloradans have received the J&J vaccine. Polis said he believes the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered again in Colorado in a few days. A brief pause in Colorado distributing the vaccine, he said, will not impact Colorado’s ability to achieve herd immunity in the coming months. “If it only lasts two, three, four, even five, days … it will not impact the timlelines,” Polis said. That being said, Polis believes the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is needed, along with the Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, to end the pandemic. “We need all three to defeat the virus,” Polis said. U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will pause the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow. The other two authorized vaccines, from Moderna and Pfizer, make up the vast share of COVID-19 shots administered in the U.S. and are not affected by the pause. States’ supply of the J&J vaccine had already been hampered by a manufacturing mix-up that spoiled up to 15 million doses. In Colorado, a mass vaccination clinic at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City temporarily closed last week after 11 people who received the J&J vaccine suffered immediate adverse reactions such as dizziness. The clinic reopened on Sunday, administering the Pfizer vaccine. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet Wednesday to discuss the blood clot cases, and the FDA has also launched an investigation into the cause of the clots and low platelet counts. “Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a joint statement. They are recommending that people who were given the J&J vaccine who are experiencing severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after receiving the shot contact their health care provider. Officials say they also want to educate vaccine providers and health professionals about the “unique treatment” required for this type of clot. Johnson & Johnson said it was aware of the reports of “thromboembolic events,” or blood clots, but that no link to its vaccine had been established. “We are aware that thromboembolic events including those with thrombocytopenia have been reported with Covid-19 vaccines,” said Johnson & Johnson in a statement. “At present, no clear causal relationship has been established between these rare events and the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine.” The J&J vaccine received emergency use authorization from the FDA in late February with great fanfare, with hopes that its single-dose and relatively simple storage requirements would speed vaccinations across the country. Yet the shot only makes up a small fraction of the doses administered in the U.S. as J&J has been plagued by production delays and manufacturing errors at the Baltimore plant of a contractor. Last week the drugmaker took over the facility to scale up production in hopes of meeting its commitment to the U.S. government of providing about 100 million doses by the end of May. Only about 9 million of the company’s doses have been delivered to states and are awaiting administration, according to CDC data. Until now concern about the unusual blood clots has centered on the vaccine from AstraZeneca, which has not yet received authorization in the U.S. Last week, European regulators said they found a possible link between the shots and a very rare type of blood clot that occurs together with low blood platelets, one that seems to occur more in younger people. The European Medicines Agency stressed that the benefits of receiving the vaccine outweigh the risks for most people. But several countries have imposed limits on who can receive the vaccine; Britain recommended that people under 30 be offered alternatives. But the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines are made with the same technology. Leading COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the spike protein that coats the outer surface of the coronavirus. But the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines use a cold virus, called an adenovirus, to carry the spike gene into the body. J&J uses a human adenovirus to create its vaccine while AstraZeneca uses a chimpanzee version. The announcement hit U.S. stock markets immediately, with Dow futures falling almost 200 points just over two hours before the opening bell. Shares of Johnson & Johnson dropped almost 3% Colorado Sun staff writers John Ingold and Jesse Paul contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
and The Weld Trust. The program, which was initiated in 2015 as a work force development program, will continue to provide tuition assistance to Weld County high school graduates, GED recipients, and honorably discharged veterans looking to pursue post-secondary education. The move fits directly with the mission of both The Weld Trust and NCMC Foundation, which includes promoting excellence in health and education in Weld County. “This move is another step in the sustainability of Bright Futures for generations to come,” said Dale Hall, Chairman of the Bright Futures Board. “Combining forces with the NCMC Foundation and The Weld Trust strengthens Bright Futures Director, the collaboration which has always been present across the Sarah Rice county.” County Commissioner Board Chair Steve Moreno affirmed, “The county has been dedicated to Bright Futures from day one. Moving the program was a strategic decision to maintain our long-term vision of building a stronger workforce for Weld County. Bright Futures’ parameters will remain the same with the support of The Weld Trust and the NCMC Foundation.” As a part of the transition, the Bright Futures advisory committee, which will continue to provide oversite of the program, added two members from The Weld Trust executive team. Bright Futures Director, Sarah Rice, along with her team will continue to administer the program. Rice shared, “This is an exciting move for our program. Bright Futures will continue to serve Weld County students with tuition assistance while building strategic programs to align our students with the workforce for years to come. We are thrilled to be a part of The Weld Trust and NCMC Foundation.” NCMC Foundation Board Chair Tom Grant stated, “Aligning Bright Futures with The Weld Trust and NCMC Foundation will strengthen the program’s fundraising goals and long-term sustainability. We are excited to welcome the Bright Futures program and continuing the program the Weld County Commissioners created for this community.” “This program continues to put the region in a competitive position as we develop the next generation of workforce,” said Rich Werner, President and CEO of Upstate Colorado Economic Development. “The ability to execute on our long-term plan to build our workforce is enhanced with this partnership.” The Bright Futures program, which serves approximately 1,100 Weld County students annually, relies on donations from businesses and individual donors from the community. The county encourages donations to the Bright Futures program by providing a property tax credit for Weld County portions to both businesses and individuals at 50% of any amount donated to the program. Applications for the fall semester are due on May 15th. For more information about Bright Futures or to donate to the program, please visit www.brightfuturesco.com.
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