If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, here are symptoms to look out for

People who received the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine may have concerns about its safety after California suspended its use based on a recommendation from the CDC and FDA.

The halt in administering the single-dose vaccine was prompted by concerns about unusual blood clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48.

“Day one, it was just the soreness on the arm, achy muscles, fatigued that lasted maybe a day ," said Matt Duncan, who got the J&J shot. "Then maybe day three is when I had a fever.” 

Matt Duncan described the symptoms he had after he got his J&J single shot three weeks ago. 

He’s on high alert after hearing the news that Johnson and Johnson vaccine is now suspended. 

“I still stand by my choice for J and J," said Duncan. "I'll just continue to monitor my health and continue to monitor the story.” 

In Riverside County over 19,000 people of have received the J&J shot. So far, county health officials have said there are no reports of any severe reactions. 

Dr. Leung said there are symptoms you should look out for. 

“If you have received a Johnson and Johnson and if you have headache, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, or leg pain within three weeks of receiving the vaccine, you should let your primary care provider or doctor know," said Dr. Geoffrey Leung, Riverside County Health Officer.

But what about those who are worried about the safety of the other vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer?

“We want people to see our dashboard and look at the numbers of administrative doses and see that this is a good, safe, effective both of these Pfizer and Moderna vaccine," said Jose Arballo. "They've been very effective so far.” 

While the safety issue behind Johnson & Johnson is under review, county officials are hoping to tackle potential skepticism by providing full disclosure on the vaccine.   

“If you choose not to do vaccination, that's up to you," said Arballo. "But you should make that decision based on the reality of what information you have out there and not based on scary headlines or social media posts that tend to be a little alarming.” 

County officials expect that Riverside County could reach herd immunity by summer if we continue with our current progression.