On April 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a joint statement calling for a pause on the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine after reviewing data involving reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot.
According to the statement, six U.S. cases occurred among women between the ages of 18-48, and the symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. An estimated 7 million people have been given the J&J vaccine.
“Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered,” the statement said. “Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.”
Dr. John McElligott, medical advisor at St. Christopher Trucker’s Relief Fund, explained that blood issues are more prominent in women, due to leukemias, anemias, platelet issues, etc.
“It’s important to know that the vaccine is not the cause of blood clots, though,” McElligott stated. “There would have to be an underlying factor. It’s also important to move, even if you feel bad after the vaccine and just want to lie down. Laying still is bad for blood clots.”
Due to the nature of the job, blood clots are nothing new for commercial truck drivers. According to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on wearable sensors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/pulmonary embolism (PE) risk detection, those with low mobility are at very high risk for thrombus formation, which is the beginning cause of a blood clot.
“Sitting or lying for long periods can cause blood to leave the lower extremities,” the study stated. “This reduced outflow can affect autonomic tone and cause vascular dysfunction. Even in healthy adults, being seated for as little as four hours can reduce lower leg blood flow by 13%.”
According to the NCBI/NIH study, the calf muscle plays an important role in the movement of blood from the leg.
“The so-called ‘calf muscle pump’ can push as much as 70% of the blood out of the calf just by standing on the tip of your toes,” the study explained. “The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy recommends performing some sort of foot or leg exercises to improve circulation in a confined space for the prevention of DVT.”
Some of the underlying factors that women face could be birth control, smoking, especially given that those two combined are “already highly advised against because of many possible health risks,” McElligott added. “If [women truck drivers] want to find out if they have a blood clotting disorder, they can do an expense work-up to see if they’re prone to it, but that still won’t be 100% predictive.”
On May 1, Women in Trucking Association President Ellen Voie will speak with McElligott and Dr. David Weissman, a representative from the CDC, on the Women In Trucking show on the Sirius XM Road Dog Channel 146 to discuss the latest news about the vaccines and the pandemic.
“It seems so confusing for all of us to ‘follow the science,’” Voie said. “As an association, our focus is on educating our members, so they have the information to make the right decisions, which is why we have the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit on our website. It’s also sad that setbacks such as vaccine side effects are occurring, which only make the uncertainty a greater concern.”
On April 14, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held a virtual emergency meeting to discuss the overall safety of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and vote on a recommendation to make to the CDC.
After four hours of discussion, the ACIP concurred that there is too much data unknown to them in order to make an informed decision and decided not to provide a recommendation to the CDC at this time. The ACIP plans to gather more data, including risk/benefit analysis and will reconvene in seven to-10 days. During that time, the hold on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will remain in effect.
According to the CDC/FDA joint statement, these adverse effects appear to be extremely rare. “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously,” urged both organizations. “People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”
McElligott explained that bigger trucking companies should have doctors that can discuss any questions or concerns with their drivers, but if a truck driver does not have a doctor, they can call him directly at 865-558-3038, and he will work with them on which vaccine to get.
Overall, McElligot urges people to get any of the other available vaccines. “Without the vaccine, masks, and herd immunity we will never get out of this hole we are in," he said. "Truck drivers need to get vaccinated. Most of my patients have seen mild responses, and my practice has taken care of a quarter million people. If you can get it, get it.”
