MECHANICSVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — Many people are left asking if they should be worried after administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was put on pause. One woman from Mechanicsville who recently got her shot was worried at first but says she has been able to subside those fears.
So far, there are only six reported cases of severe blood clots following the vaccine, out of almost 7 million people who have received the single-dose of J&J. Health experts are trying to encourage people not to panic.
For Stephanie Martin, she’s focused on getting to spend time with loved ones again. She got the J&J vaccine almost two weeks ago.
“I’m just ready to you know hug my friends and hug my family and see people I haven’t seen in a long time,” Martin said.
She says when she first heard the news that the vaccine was on pause she wondered if this is something that could happen to her. Martin also falls into a similar category age range as the women who developed blood clots.
Martin says, “When you see a big headline like that, and you just got the vaccine, and you’re still within that window that you might still have a crazy, adverse reaction to it… my first thought is.. oh my goodness. Is this going to happen to me?”
The statistics reassured her, saying she stopped worrying when she realized that there’s a less than one in a million chance that she’s in danger.
Health experts are still asking recipients of the single-dose shot to monitor symptoms for around three weeks after inoculation. Anyone who contracts a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath should contact their doctor. Some side effects after the shot can be expected and are completely harmless long term, recipients should just
“I’ll just wait and see if I develop any other symptoms and see what the science says going forward,” Martin said.
