NCBW Supports a Temporary Pause in Johnson & Johnson Vaccinations
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
For Further Information Contact: Alfreda Stukes
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NCBW Supports a Temporary Pause in Johnson & Johnson Vaccinations After Rare Blood Clotting Cases
Taking safety very seriously should be a primary focus for health officials
ATLANTA, GA, April 19, 2021 – On behalf of the National Directorate, and all of the activist women in our 61 chapters in 27 states that comprise the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Incorporated (NCBW), we agree with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation to temporarily pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six women who received the shot developed a rare blood clotting disorder.
Our organization understands the COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic. We also understand that health is a vital component of a thriving community. Health officials are not only making sure vaccines are effective against the virus, but they are also making sure they are safe.
Federal health officials say the blood clotting so far appears to affect just one out of every million people injected with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and it is not yet clear if the vaccine is the cause. The vaccine is not being pulled; health officials want to properly recognize and manage the cases, given the unique treatment that is required. Keep in mind, nearly 7-million people have already received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination without having serious side effects.
The CDC and FDA say the pause in Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has nothing to do with efficacy. It’s still a very highly efficacious vaccine in preventing someone from getting the coronavirus. According to the National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chance of these adverse side effects is “less than 1 in a million,” but he said to be alert to the symptoms such as severe headache, some difficulty in movement — such as in a neurological type of a situation — or some chest discomfort and difficulty breathing.
As a reminder, studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. The Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.
“As an advocacy organization, an important component in our work is to educate and create healthful environments in the communities we serve. We want to continue to ensure there is access to health care, and campaign to eliminate all health, social, and economic inequalities,” said Virginia W. Harris, NCBW National President.
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The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Incorporated is a 38-year-old advocacy organization whose vision is that black women and girls will live in a world where socio-economic inequity does not exist. Thus, we advocate on behalf of black women and girls to promote leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. As a voice for millions of black women and girls in the United States, the Coalition believes in inclusion, respect, racial and social justice, integrity, accountability and collaboration. For more information visit the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. at www.ncbw.org
We operate as a not-for-profit organization exclusively for charitable, educational, and social purposes and are organized for tax exempt status under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954.
