Vaccine available in county again

The Johnson and John single-shot vaccine is available to Sweetwater County residents after distribution was temporarily halted following reports of blot clotting in rare instances.

According to the Sweetwater County District Board of Health, use of the vaccine resumed Wednesday.

According to the board of health 15 instances of blood clotting was reported out of 6.8 million doses of the vaccine distributed. The issue was reported in women aged 18-59 and included other symptoms including nausea, abdominal pain,easy bruising or bleeding, and shortness of breath between six and 15 days after vaccination.

Kim Lionberger, director of the board of health, said she wasn’t aware of any instances where residents refused a vaccine over health concerns regarding the blood clotting issue. She also said the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which anyone can report to, worked as it is intended to regarding the issue.

“... it is reassuring that the system in place was able to pick up on cases so there could be further investigation into what was going on,” she said.

She said an emergency Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting April 23 focused on the 15 blood clot reports and worked to find trends or common denominators in those reports.

She said the low instances of blood clotting, the district board of health determined it would continue offering the vaccine.

The Wyoming Department of Health estimates nearly a quarter of the state’s population has been vaccinated, which includes nearly 55% of adults aged 65 and older. The two remaining health orders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which specify mask wearing and distancing at schools and indoor events of more than 500 people being allowed at 50% capacity remain in effect. The two statewide mandates were extended to May 16.

“WDH recommends masks in indoor public places when common-sense physical distancing cannot be maintained among people who don’t live in the same household,” the press release states.

According to data from the WDH, Sweetwater County saw the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the sate during the last week with 50. Laramie County had 64 new cases, while neighboring Albany County was the third highest with 41.

To date, there have been 4,015 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sweetwater County.