Nevada Appeal Capitol Bureau
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on hold, the two Mobile Vaccination Units in Nevada have been switched to the Pfizer vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration has recommended states pause the use of the J&J vaccine because a small number of people — six out of 7 million doses administered — suffered serious side effects. One of the six died.
The advantage for rural populations in using the J&J vaccine is that it only requires one dose.
A spokesman said the mobile units will continue their tour of rural Nevada using the two-dose Pfizer vaccine to people 16 and older on a first-come, first-served basis.
That means the mobile units will have to make another trip to each of the rural communities they visit in 21 days to administer the second shot.
FEMA sent the two mobile units to Nevada to help ensure equitable availability of vaccinations to people in rural areas who may not have adequate access to the shots otherwise. The units are staffed by registered nurses and vaccinators, pharmacy technicians and other professionals including EMTs in case anyone has an adverse reaction to the shot.
