For some Americans, their only option for a coronavirus vaccine has been the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and a setback in the treatment rollout is leaving some to lose hope of getting vaccinated all.
Such is the case for 58-year-old Karilynn Buchan of Park Forest, Illinois.
We met her in December 2020 while filming NBC 5’s four-part docuseries, “Vaccinated State.”
During the interviews for the series, Buchan explained how she was allergic to the ingredients in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which use mRNA technology and contain polyethylene glycol, also known as “PEG”.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine uses a more traditional approach to trigger an immune response, and was the only option for Buchan not associated with a high risk of a serious allergic reaction.
Now that the FDA has recommended disrupting distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to concerns about blood clots, which have affected six people of the nearly 7 million doses administered, Buchan says she is heartbroken.
‘This is just heartbreaking. I don’t understand, ”Buchan said. “I said then that I trusted science, which is true. I trust mRNA science. “
Buchan has made the decision to rethink getting the vaccine for fear of potential side effects.
It’s important to note that scientists say that cases of blood clots are extremely rare, but that won’t change Buchan’s view.
Buchan has a newly diagnosed heart condition that puts her at “high risk” for COVID-19.
Due to these circumstances, she has been locked up at her home for the past year.
Now the fear of being left behind returns as she watches others in her family get vaccinated.
When asked if she would take the vaccine if the FDA ruled J&J safe, Buchan initially said “absolutely not.”
She went on to say she will have to wait to see what happens in running processes.