Mecklenburg will keep using one-shot COVID vaccine after Raleigh concerns, CDC investigation

Mecklenburg County will continue administering the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after a CDC investigation, county officials said Friday.

A small percentage of people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Wake County, along with some recipients in Iowa, Colorado and Georgia, reported dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling faint and sweating within hours of receiving the vaccine, the county said in a statement.

UNC Health and Wake County Public Health both temporarily stopped administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Thursday after some people reported reactions at their vaccination sites, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported.

UNC Health has since announced it would resume the use of the one-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

In a county statement Friday, Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said there have been no “concerning reports of adverse reactions” to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Mecklenburg County.

“COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and the best way to finally put this pandemic behind us,” Harris said in a statement. “Some people will experience pain or swelling at the injection site, a headache, even fever and chills. They typically don’t last long and are signs that your body is building protection against the virus.”

The CDC has investigated the incidents and found no cause for concern, Harris said.

The CDC recommends people have a snack or beverage before getting the vaccine and sit or lie down after getting the shot to avoid symptoms like dizziness and feeling lightheaded.

More than a quarter of Mecklenburg County residents are now at least partially vaccinated, according to state data. And 17.9% of Mecklenburg County residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Friday.