The COVID Vaccine Pause: A Case for Greater Patient Engagement

Despite initial concerns that the pause might fuel vaccine hesitancy and delay getting shots in arms of at-risk populations, the drug’s hiatus may have saved lives. In several early cases of J&J vaccine blood clotting, patients were treated with heparin, which is a normal treatment for blood clots; however, in these cases the heparin worsened the situation. The pause helped educate hospitals and health systems going forward on how to treat similar symptoms in those with the J&J dose.

To get in front of the situation, practices needed to quickly alert patients about the pause, address health concerns from patients who had already received the J&J shot, and help patients reschedule. It was only through rapid communication that providers could proactively resolve patient concerns, calm fears, and offer guidance.