Officials in Colorado and North Carolina pause distribution of J&J vaccine after minor adverse reactions

ATHENS, OHIO, UNITED STATES - 2021/03/09: Athens City-County Health Department Director of Nursing, Crystal Jones, 52, loads syringes with the vaccine on the first day of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine being made available to residents. The Athens City-County Health Department collaborated with Ohio University to roll out the new Johnson & Johnson (COVID-19) Vaccine, which only requires one shot instead of two.

Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

• Less than 1% of Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients experienced adverse reactions this week.
• But officials in Colorado and North Carolina are pausing their use of the shot.
• An investigation is underway to see if there is an issue with the batch being used.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Officials in Colorado and North Carolina are pausing distribution of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine after a few people experienced minor adverse reactions this week.

As The Denver Post reported Wednesday, 11 people experienced reactions after receiving the J&J shot at a mass-vaccination clinic in Commerce City, just north of Denver. With over 1,700 having being given the vaccine that day, that comes out to less than 1%.

On Thursday, Peter Banko, CEO of Centura Health, which was distributing the vaccines, said the company would pause while public health officials investigate whether there is an issue with the batch, The Post's Meg Wingerter reported.

There were no issues earlier in the week, Wingerter noted.

In North Carolina, public health officials in Wake County reported 14 people - out of more than 2,300 - experienced adverse reactions on Thursday. "Currently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are analyzing the vaccine lot and expect to issue guidance within the next two hours," county officials said Thursday evening.

The reactions, while minimal, come after Johnson & Johnson was forced to scrap some 15 million doses due to a manufacturing error at a plant in Baltimore.

In a statement, Johnson & Johnson told Insider it takes any adverse reactions seriously, saying it will "carefully assess the events" and share any findings with the Food and Drug Administration.

"There is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of the people we serve," the company said.

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