It will be another week before a CDC advisory committee meets again to discuss the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System news conference Friday morning.
Dr. Kevin Ault, a member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, who also is an obstetrician at KU Health System and a professor and division director at KU Medical Center, said the committee decided it needed more information before making a recommendation.
At this time the committee has not made any conclusions on the six cases of blood clots found in those who had received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, according to Dr. Ault. That vaccine was suspended while the committee investigates the cases.
The five cases, and possibly a sixth, from about 7 million Johnson and Johnson vaccines given were all in women from 18 to 48 years old, he said. They had a blood clot in the brain, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). There was one death, and some of the women were in the intensive care unit.
Dr. Ault said there are about a half-dozen safety systems for the vaccines, and they are searching through databases with a fine-toothed comb to look for other possible cases. He said he expected to see some data from these other safety systems next week. The CDC also is getting medical records from the patients with CVST.
There were another 2 million patients vaccinated with Johnson and Johnson vaccine within the two weeks before it was paused, so those cases also will be looked at.
This vaccine had been used before by Johnson and Johnson, and there were no CVST cases in the previous trials, he said.
He showed a chart that showed the rate of CVST is 3 to 15 per 1 million in the general population, or 18 to 50 in 6 million. The incidence in the vaccine group was 6 in 6 or 7 million. The incidence of CVST is higher in the general population than it has been among those getting the vaccine, according to the doctors.
The incidence of CVST also is elevated during pregnancy, with a rate of 10 to 12 cases per 100,000, according to the chart. CVST also occurs in 2.7 to 40 per 100,000 persons who take contraceptive pills, the chart stated. Also, people who have COVID-19 can experience CVST at an incidence of 4.5 to 20 per 100,000 cases.
Dr. Ault said he was reassured that the health alert will be posted in emergency rooms across the United States. With CVST, a usual blood clot treatment of heparin is not advised.
Also at the news conference, Dr. Ault said they may need boosters eventually for the vaccine, especially with the variants. At this time, it appears that people still have immune response through six months, and they will know more information about it later. Some experts have estimated nine to 12 months of protection from the COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, agreed that there would probably be some sort of booster shot needed eventually.
“Vaccine is going to continue to be our way out of this pandemic,” he said.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are still relatively low at KU Health System, but the number of active COVID-19 patients in the hospital has nearly doubled in the last 10 days, according to Dr. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement.
Dr. Wild urged people to also wear masks and distance from others, and to get vaccinated.
Walk-in vaccinations available Saturday at Armory
Walk-in vaccinations will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), in Kansas City, Kansas.
Vaccinations are possible with or without an appointment on Saturday for anyone living or working in Wyandotte County, according to the Unified Government Health Department. Patients will receive a free, two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (either Pfizer or Moderna).
These vaccinations on Saturday are only at the Armory location. Those vaccinated should be 18 and older. People should bring an ID or a piece of mail with their address on it.
Any resident of Kansas can get a vaccination at the Health Department’s three sites on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with an appointment.
On Monday, April 19, the Armory vaccination site will be open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and also, the former Best Buy vaccination site at 10500 Parallel Parkway will be open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The two sites will be open Monday for walk-in vaccinations and also for scheduled appointments. The former Kmart site will be closed on Monday, April 19, reopening on April 20.
For more information on the vaccine hours, and the hours next week, visit WycoVaccines.org. You can schedule an appointment at https://vaccines.wycokck.org/ or call 311.
Other sites available for vaccinations
The University of Kansas Health System also has vaccinations for Wyandotte and Johnson county residents. Any residents of Kansas can call to get an appointment whether they are patients or not at the health system.
KU Health System offers vaccinations seven days a week at different locations. Appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to see if vaccines are available.
There are also pharmacies giving COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacy at 76th and State Avenue, and 81st and State Avenue (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/), and Medicine Shoppe pharmacy at 65th and Parallel by appointment when available (see https://www.facebook.com/The-Medicine-Shoppe-Kansas-City-281548241870522). CVS pharmacy also has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines at one of its stores in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is at CVS.com.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported cases were “inching up” on Friday morning. There were 14 active COVID-19 patients on Friday morning, an increase of two since Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Of the 14 patients, three were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of one since Thursday. Three patients were on a ventilator, an increase of one from Thursday. There were another 13 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized but are out of the acute infection phase, an increase of five from Thursday. There is a total 27 patients, an increase of seven from Thursday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of four COVID-19 cases on Friday, April 16, for a cumulative 18,266 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 289 deaths reported.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 167,664 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 60. The number of cumulative deaths was 2,369. These figures were not updated Friday.
The state of Kansas reported 305,861 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday, April 16, an increase of 541 cases since Wednesday. There were a total cumulative 4,953 deaths reported statewide. Johnson County had 57,068 cases, an increase of 106 cases from Wednesday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had 7,136 cases, an increase of 15 cases since Wednesday, KDHE stated.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 31,575,182 cases in the United States, with 586,215 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 74,289 new cases and 887 new deaths. States with the largest increases were Michigan, 7,191 new cases; New York, 7,029; Florida, 6,762; Pennsylvania, 5,093; and New Jersey, 3,958. The countries with the largest increases were India, 217,353 new cases; U.S., 74,289; Brazil, 73,174; Turkey, 61,400; and France, 38,081.
COVID-19 tests scheduled
Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 free testing sites are scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, April 19. For more information on what buildings are open Monday, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.
The University of Kansas doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/266047668583049.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/292961702392386.
A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
Wyandotte County has a local mask and social distancing ordinance approved by the UG Commission. The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.
The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.