The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health says concerns about a large number of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna could lead to a temporary setback in the distribution of second doses.
County health officials say they are following state guidelines and have stopped administering the vaccine in question after reporting possible allergic reactions in several people; however, the state will not immediately replace these doses and this could delay some people from receiving their second shot.
According to reports, San Luis Obispo County received 4,400 doses of the Modern Lot 041L20A vaccine. None were administered.
Health officials say the delay will not affect vaccination appointments for the first time and that receiving the second dose a few weeks later than expected will not be harmful.
Those waiting for their second dose will receive a text message or email from the county when it is available.
The CDC, the FDA, Modern and the State of California are investigating after some people reported adverse effects after receiving the specific batch of vaccine.
Last week, at a vaccine superstation set up in Petco Park in San Diego, six health workers had allergic reactions and the site was temporarily closed.
California Department of Public Health officials say January 5-12 distributed more than 330,000 doses of the Modern Modern batch to 287 providers across California.
The Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health says it also received part of the Lot 041L20A Modern vaccine, but none has yet been administered.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, says reports should not deter others from getting the vaccine, and if you haven’t had reactions to vaccines in the past, you probably won’t. have them with the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The risk is so low of a severe allergic reaction, particularly someone who has had a history,” Dr. Chin-Hong said. “It’s minimal compared to the risk of having COVID-19.”
The CDC states that common side effects of the vaccine are expected and may include pain or swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, and headache.