4 p.m. COVID-19 update

KMBC9 NEWS AT 4 KNOW IT FORWE’RE COVERING THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC KANSAS HEALTH OFFICIALSARE REPORTING A NEW VARIANT INTHE STATE AND DOUGLAS COUNTYCOULD SOON EASE SOME OF ITSCOVID RESTRICTIONS FORBUSINESSES WE BEGIN THOUGH WITHTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTRECOMMENDING A PAUSE OF THEJOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE THEREHAVE BEEN REPORTS OF BLOOD CLOTSIN SIX PATIENTS AIKIDOT.IN WASHINGTON NOW WITH THELATEST TODAY FEDERAL HEALTHOFFICIALS CALLING FOR A PAUSE INTHE USE OF JOHNSON & JOHNSONSINGLE SHOT COVID VACCINECOVID-19 VAC.CINE TOP PRIORITY FOR THE FAKEALL REPORTS HAVE ADVERSE EVENTSFOLLOWING VACCINATION VERYSERIOUSLY.THE REQUEST COMES AS SIX PEOPLEALL WOMEN AGES 18 TO 48DEVELOPED A RARE CONDITION THATCAUSES BLOOD CLOTS ABOUT A WEEKAFTER RECEIVING THEIR DOSEHEALTH EXPERTS SAY THESE CLOTSARE NOT ALWAYS TREATED THE SAMEAS OTHER BLOOD CLOTS.JOHNSON & JOHNSON SAYS THERE’SNO CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEENTHE RARE BLOOD CLOTS AND ITSVACCINE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALSWANT TO PAUSE ADMINISTERING THEJNJ SHOT.SO DOCTORS CAN LEARN MORE ABOUTWHAT’S HAPPENING.THE TIME FRAME WILL DEPENDOBVIOUSLY ON WHAT WE LEARN INTHE NEXT FEW DAYS.HOWEVER, WE EXPECT IT TO BE AMATTER OF DAY FOR THIS PAUSE DR.FAUCI AGREEING WITH THE QUICKDECISION TO PAUSE THE VACCINESAYING SAFETY IS THE TOPPRIORITY.WE ARE TOTALLY AWARE THAT THISIS A VERY RARE EVENT.WE WANT TO GET THIS WORKED OUTAS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CANWHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSECOORDINATOR.JEFF.ZIANT SAYS THE PAUSE WON’T HAVEA SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ONPRESIDENT BIDEN’S GOAL OFADMINISTERING 200 MILLIONVACCINES WITHIN HIS FIRST 100DAYS IN OFFICE.THE J&J VACCINE MAKES UP LESSTHAN 5% OF THE MORE THAN 190MILLION RECORDED SHOTS IN ARMSIN THE UNITED STATES TO DATE AWHITE HOUSE SAYS IT HAS ENOUGHMODERNA AND PFIZER STOCKPILE TOCONTINUE TO VACCINATE UP TOTHREE MILLION AMERICANS PER DAY.I KAJACHI ABC NEWS, WASHINGTONNOW BOTH KANSAS AND MISSOURIPROMPTLY STOPPED USING THEJOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE JUSTAFTER THAT FEDERAL ANNOUNCEMENTMICHAEL MAHONEY HAS MORE NOW ONHOW MUCH OF THE VACCINE HAS BEENIN USE IN OUR AREA.ALL RIGHT.TURNING JOHNSON VACCINE WAS USEDTO INOCULATE MORE THAN 6,000PEOPLE OF THE TRUMAN SPORTSCOMPLEX LAST MONTH THE SINGLESHOT VACCINE IS CONSIDERED TO BEAN ADVANTAGE.IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE CONVENIENTFOR THE AVERAGE PERSON.THEY’RE DONE WITH IT.KANSAS WILL NOW USE EITHERPFIZER OR MODERNA VACCINES.IT HAD JUST 5,000 OF THE JOHNSON& JOHNSON VACCINES FOR THISWEEK.IT’S TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR NEXTWEEK IS A RELATIVELY SMALL136,000.IT WE’RE FINE.WE’RE EVEN IF WE DON’T HAVE J&JWE WILL ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TOGET EVERYONE VACCINATED.LET’S GO.LET’S GO THE DEPARTMENT OFPUBLIC.SAFETY SAYS THAT MISSOURI’SNATIONAL GUARD TROOPS THAT PLANTO USE THE JJ DOSES AT EVENTSTODAY SWITCHED TO MODERNA STATEIS SCHEDULED ANOTHER MASSVACCINATION EVENT AT THE SPORTSCOMPLEX HERE FOR THE LASTWEEKEND IN APRIL, MISSOURIADVISES PEOPLE WHO GOT THE JJVACCINE WITHIN THE LAST THREEWEEKS AND MAYBE HAVING PROBLEMSTO CONTACT THEIR PROVIDER WITHKANSAS IN MISSOURI WILL CONTINUETHEIR VACCINATION PROGRAMS USINGTHE PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINES.MICHAEL MAHONEY KMBC9 NEWS THEREWILL BE A MEETING WEDNESDAY WITHNATIONAL HEALTH EXPERTS TODECIDE HOW TO PROCEED MARCYNIELSEN OF KANSAS THINKS.THERE’S ONLY A SLIM CHANCE THEYWOULD PULL