With a pause in the use of the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Fayette County Health Department is moving fully to the Moderna product. A renewed study of the J&J vaccine came amidst reports of rare blood clotting in six women.
Health Department Spokesman Kevin Hall said it could be another week to ten days before the Centers for Disease Control and Federal Drug Administration report on the J&J vaccine. “Right now we are working with the Moderna product. We will continue to provide second doses four weeks after someone gets their first and we’ll continue doing this moving forward until the Johnson and Johnson becomes available and, if it doesn’t, we will use the Moderna as needed,” said Hall.
To this point, Hall said about 25,000 first and second doses of Moderna have been administered by the health department. He noted that compares with less than a thousand doses of J&J vaccine.
The Lexington community has seen a slight uptick in coronavirus cases. Kevin Hall said 58 new COVID cases are being reported Friday. He said that’s nowhere near the almost 400 daily cases in early January, but still more than twice the count seen last week. Hall noted that’s doesn’t mean a fourth wave is here, but the virus is still circulating. “It’s just not as present as it was, cause the numbers aren’t so large. Just because you’re not hearing about 300-400 cases does not mean that we are through this. It is still spreading. We need to get as many people vaccinated as possible and we need to keep wearing our masks and social distancing,” explained Hall.
Hall added there is an ample supply of coronavirus vaccine in the Lexington area. The health department official said the Moderna vaccine is available for anyone 18 and older while Pfizer is available for those 16 and up.
If you appreciate access to this important content during this global pandemic, please help us continue to provide public service journalism and information to Central and Eastern Kentucky communities. Please make your contribution to WEKU today.
