Some in Charlotte County don’t regret their J&J vaccines, despite Governor’s calls to halt distribution

So far this year, The Department of Health in Charlotte County has worked with the state to administer about 4,500 Johnson & Johnson shots at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte. Those shots went into the arms of teachers, first responders and farmworkers.

None of those people reported any side effects. Neither did those who received the shot at Publix or CVS.

The difficult journey to getting vaccinated in Southwest Florida has included long lines and at one time, limited appointment slots.

Alan and Kim Woinski of Rotonda West were among those looking and waiting for a local appointment.

“We had a choice between going up to Tampa, and waiting on the line there or trying to find a place around here,” said Alan.

Their patience finally paid off in March and they were able to get vaccinated at CVS.

“We just kind of got lucky with the CVS thing that, you know, we were able to get the J&J shot right,” said Alan.

Both Alan and Kim did develop soreness at the injection site. But, aside from that, they didn’t have any other side effects from their  Johnson & Johnson shots.

“It was like actually like winning the lottery. I was just, it was an absolute relief,” Kim said.

Others weren’t as lucky in the vaccine lottery. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention announced on Tuesday that at least six women developed a rare and severe blood clot after receiving the shot. That’s one person per 1.3 million people that were vaccinated with the J&J vaccine.

Still, these side effects aren’t anything to mess with.

“It’s such a small percentage of, you know, the amount of people that are getting the shot,” said Alan.

But, despite it all, the Woinskis say they do not regret their decision one bit.

“There’s chances of things happening with any vaccination,” Kim said.

WINK News reporter Erika Jackson spoke with Dr. Joseph Pepe, the head of the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County. He says he’s waiting for guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice. This way, the medical community will know what symptoms to look out for.