Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: Things You Should Know

• April 20, 2021
• kupplinadmin
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There was a promise on the horizon this past Monday for countless American citizens. We were administering well over 3 million COVID vaccinations a day and it seemed like the pandemic could be curbed in the upcoming months to finally allow a sense of normalcy that many people have been craving for quite a while. All of that was momentarily put on hold or at least altered to a degree after federal health officials announced a temporary halt on the J&J vaccinations after reports of blood clots in select people who had received the vaccine.

Now, while we may not have the Johnson and Johnson version of the vaccine, we still have our Pfizer and Moderna sources to continue vaccinating our population. Putting a pause on administering more J&J doses, if anything, can seem like a positive indication towards greater vaccine safety to help maintain public confidence in processes such as routine and new vaccinations. An imperfect science, there will always be obstacles in the path of medicine, but the crux of the matter is how we react and if we can take the news in stride.

Even before this information came to light, people have been hesitant about a new type of vaccine to fight a virus that was never anticipated (how could it be?). Of course, it is human nature to be curious about things that aren’t immediately clear to us which is what leads to the need for thorough testing and proper procedures in the event that something like the J&J incident happens. Many conspiracy theorists are picking up this news and are distributing it to their followers which tends to spread misinformation and only slows down the overall process of exiting the pandemic. Even small details such as hearing lawmakers mention how the vaccine is “not yet fully understood” can sway opinions especially when many lawmakers still have not taken the vaccine.

There are so many sources of information that are potentially skewed with bias and opinion that it becomes hard to digest information or even trust what is being said to us. Millions of Americans have taken a leap of faith, myself included, to get vaccinated and contribute to the betterment of society by eliminating COVID. There will be opinions and facts to support both sides, which makes it that much harder to come to an independent conclusion that feels like your own decision. The best you can do is absorb the information you read and hear and see and sift through it all to find an avenue that makes you feel comfortable while keeping people around you safe as well.

-Azaan Moledina