HEALTH
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause
cancels Morrow County clinic
By BRYCE DOLE
STAFF WRITER
Morrow County officials
canceled a vaccine clinic in
Heppner on Tuesday, April
13, after federal health agen-
cies recommended that
states “pause” the use of the
Johnson & Johnson vaccine
while officials investigate
six reports of blood clots in
women ages 18 to 48, out of
nearly 7 million Johnson &
Johnson vaccines adminis-
tered so far.
“It was going to be our
last strong day in Morrow
County,” Morrow County
Commissioner
Melissa
Lindsay said. “This is really
depressing and disappoint-
ing and frustrating. We
really want to get people
vaccinated so we can keep
moving forward, and as
we see (coronavirus cases)
going up around the state,
it’s just concerning.”
The six cases are among
the nearly 7 million people
who have received the John-
son & Johnson vaccine in the
United States as of Monday,
April 12, with no other seri-
ous adverse reactions having
been reported, according to
the New York Times.
One of the women has
died and another is hospi-
talized and in critical con-
dition, according to federal
officials. None of the six
women were Oregonians,
according to the Oregon
Health Authority.
The
announcement
prompted Oregon health
officials on April 13 to tem-
porarily suspend the use
of the Johnson & Johnson
vaccine statewide. At least
81,255 Oregonians have
received that vaccine so far,
according to state health
data.
Dr. Janet Woodcock, the
commissioner of the Food
and Drug Administration,
said at a news conference
on April 13. that the pause
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Maria Corona receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
during an event for farm and food processing workers at the
Sage Center in Boardman on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
is expected to last “a matter
of days.” That time frame,
however, is contingent upon
what federal officials learn in
its investigation, Woodcock
said.
Lindsay said she’s wor-
ried that the rare negative
cases could induce a mis-
leading stigma that COVID-
19 vaccines are unsafe for
the general population.
“I’m not a medical pro-
fessional, but when you
read the data, those six peo-
ple are from a very specific
demographic,” she said.
The Morrow County
clinic was part of an eight-
day commitment with the
Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency and the
Oregon Health Authority
intending to vaccinate peo-
ple en masse with 2,000
doses of the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine.
With one day left to go
in the effort, the county had
only used “about 800 doses”
Lindsay said. She added that
the county was planning to
give the rest of the doses
to Malheur County to help
raise its vaccination rates,
“but at this point that will be
on hold.”
The clinics were seeing
low turnouts partly due to
vaccine hesitancy among
newly eligible groups, Lind-
say said.
“I’m definitely worried
about how this will play into
that hesitancy,” she said,
adding that with cases ris-
ing across both the state and
country, “now our ability to
vaccinate is slowed down.”
To Lindsay, the canceled
clinic felt like a lost oppor-
tunity. The clinic was one
of three nationally where
FEMA officials were assist-
ing in the vaccine roll-
out, bringing much-needed
staffing and resources to
a county that has reported
relatively low vaccina-
tion rates in recent months,
Lindsay said.
“It was a lot of people
on the ground that gave our
health department a break,”
Lindsay said. “We most
likely won’t see that kind
of dedication from the fed-
eral government to a small
county” again.
The single-dose Johnson
& Johnson vaccine is ideal
for workers that cannot take
time off work to get a shot,
Lindsay said. Those include
agricultural workers — a
workforce hit especially hard
by the pandemic in Morrow
County, prompting state and
local officials to hold local
clinics in recent weeks spe-
cifically geared toward that
demographic.
“As we go into a busy
time of year, and spring is
here, the (agricultural) com-
munity is getting more and
more busy,” she said. “Get-
ting people in even once was
difficult.”
The remaining doses will
be kept in refrigerated stor-
age for the time being, but
they will expire in June, as
all Johnson & Johnson vac-
cines do after three months.
Lindsay called the possibility
of expiration “concerning.”
In a statement, John-
son & Johnson advised peo-
ple who’ve received its vac-
cine to contact a health
care provider if they expe-
rience symptoms of blood
clots within three weeks of
their vaccinations, includ-
ing headache, abdominal
pain, leg pain or shortness of
breath.
All Oregonians age 16
and up become eligible for
the COVID-19 vaccine start-
ing Monday, April 19.
The date lines up with
a new push by the Biden
administration for all states
to open up eligibility in order
to fight against new, more
contagious variants of the
virus and a new increase in
cases as states open up.
While Johnson & John-
son vaccines are on hold,
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines
are still available.
In Umatilla County, res-
idents can find informa-
tion on where the vac-
cine is available within the
county online at ucohealth.
net/covid-events-new. Loca-
tions in Hermiston where
appointments are available
each week include Safe-
way, BiMart, Walmart, Fam-
ily Health Associates, Mira-
sol Family Health Center
and Good Shepherd Medical
Center.
Locations for Morrow
County clinics, and a sign-up
sheet for those interested in
being contacted about avail-
ability, can be found on the
Morrow County Health
Department Facebook page.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021
Good Shepherd
welcomes two new
physiatrists
Scott, who has already
been providing chiro-
Good Shepherd Health practic services through
Care System has wel- Good Shepherd for sev-
comed two new physiat- eral years.
rists to the Good
Rigert said for
Shepherd Medi-
many people, if
cal Group’s Phys-
pain lasts longer
ical Medicine &
than three months,
Rehabilitation
the original injury
Clinic.
may have healed
Doctors Trey
but the “pain
Rigert,
M.D.,
switch” has been
Russo
and David Russo,
left on, and it’s
D.O., join chi-
time to consult
with a doctor.
ropractor
Dr.
“First we look
Christopher
at our patients as a
Scott to form a
whole person, not
comprehensive
as a problem.,” he
pain
manage-
ment team for the
said. “You are not
clinic.
just spinal stenosis
Rigert
Physiat -
or a nerve injury.
rists
special-
You are lived expe-
ize in physical medicine rience, what you eat,
and rehabilitation. Both your support person, how
Rigert and Russo are your injury occurred, etc.
board certified in physical We are here to help our
medicine and rehabilita- patients accomplish their
tion, according to a news goals, not just helping
release.
them to overcome their
Rigert finished med- pain.”
The Physical Medicine
ical school at Oregon
Health Sciences Uni- & Rehabilitation Clinic
versity, completed his generally sees patients
residency at Univer- age 13 and older, with
sity of California-Ir- some exceptions.
According to the news
vine, and has 30 years of
release, those patients are
experience.
Dr. Russo completed usually referred by their
his residency at Mayo primary care provider
Clinic, completed a fel- or another provider, but
lowship at Oregon Health patients can seek a con-
& Science University, sultation directly if they
and has been practicing think they can benefit
from the clinic’s services.
for over 20 years.
In the news release, Providers at the clinic are
Rigert called it an “amaz- taking new patients.
For a consultation or
ing opportunity” to offer
a new line of full ser- information, call 541-
vice
physical
medi- 667-3832 from 8 a.m. to
cine and rehabilitation 5 p.m. Monday through
through Good Shepherd, Friday or visit www.
and praised the equip- gshealth.org/good-shep-
ment available, space the h e r d - m e d i c a l - g r o u p /
clinic is housed in and the physical-medicine-reha-
working relationship with bilitation-clinic.
HERMISTON HERALD