The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department says concerns over a lot of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could cause a temporary setback in the distribution of second doses.
County health officials say they are following state direction and have paused administration of the vaccine in question after reports of possible allergic reactions in several people; however, the state will not immediately replace those doses and that could delay some people from receiving their second shot.
San Luis Obispo County reportedly received 4,400 doses of the Moderna Lot 041L20A vaccine. None have been administered.
Health officials say the delay will not affect first-time vaccination appointments and that receiving the second dose a few weeks later than expected will not be detrimental.
Those awaiting their second dose will receive a text or email from the county when it's available.
The CDC, FDA, Moderna, and the State of California are investigating after some people reported adverse effects after receiving the specific lot of vaccine.
Last week, at a vaccine super station set up at Petco Park in San Diego, six healthcare workers had allergic reactions and the site was temporarily closed.
California Department of Public Health officials say from Jan. 5-12, more than 330,000 doses of the specific Moderna lot were distributed to 287 providers across California.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department says it also received some of the Moderna Lot 041L20A vaccine but none of it has yet been administered.
UC San Francisco infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong says the reports should not deter others from getting the vaccine and if you haven't had reactions to vaccines in the past, you likely won't have them with the COVID-19 vaccine.
"The risk is so small of a severe allergic reaction, particularly someone who has had a history of it," said Dr. Chin-Hong. "It's minute compared to the risk of just having COVID-19."
The CDC says common side effects from the vaccine are expected and can include pain or swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, and headache.
