April 13, 2021 – Cook County Public Health and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) have canceled the vaccination event scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, in Lutsen. This event had planned to use the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine following the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Those who had registered for Wednesday’s vaccination event in Lutsen have received an email cancellation notice and will be called by SMC staff Tuesday. 

The vaccination events planned for Thursday at North Shore Health, which will use the Pfizer vaccine, and the Cook County Community Center, which will use the Moderna vaccine, will proceed as scheduled. There have been 30 additional appointments added for the event at the Community Center. Those previously registered for Wednesday’s Johnson & Johnson event in Lutsen are encouraged to sign up for these alternative vaccination opportunities in Grand Marais.

The CDC recommendation to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes out of an abundance of caution as six people out of the 6.8 million who have received this vaccine experienced a rare and severe blood clot. All cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, with symptoms six to 13 days post-vaccination. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet Wednesday to review these cases and assess what they mean in terms of vaccine safety and the relative risks and benefits of the vaccine. The FDA will then review the ACIP’s analysis and investigate these cases on its own.

“While it may sound alarming to hear this news, this is a real-life example of the high safety standards that vaccines must adhere to in our country,” said Grace Grinager, the Cook County Public Health Supervisor. “Even if there is a one in a million chance of a serious health event following vaccination, that is enough to prompt multiple independent safety reviews and a pause in the vaccines’ use in the public.”

Registration for the North Shore Health and Community Center vaccination events on Thursday are open on the Cook County Coronavirus Response Hub at www.cookcountycovid19.org. To complete the online registration, individuals will need to provide:

• name, address, phone number and date of birth 
• a valid email address

All individuals are automatically registered for their second dose appointment when receiving their first dose. Assistance is available for those who do not have internet access or need additional help signing up for an appointment. Call 218-877-8273 or email [email protected] for support. Registration is required for these and all future vaccine events.