In the face of growing concerns about the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 one-dose vaccine that erupted early Tuesday, April 13, Newtown residents who may have gotten their shot at a local health district clinic can breathe easy.

According to Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert, none of the series of local vaccine clinics have exclusively distributed the J&J vaccine.

“We had received a small allotment and administered 50 doses last week as part of a regular clinic,” Culbert said in response to a request for comment hours after it was announced that the US on Tuesday recommended a “pause” in using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots, a development that could jeopardize the rollout of vaccines around the world.

Those 50 J&J vaccines, Culbert said, were among about 5,000 distributed in Newtown at clinics conducted by her agency, the Ridgefield VNA organization, and the Connecticut Institute for Communities, which operates the health clinic at Newtown Middle School.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced that they were investigating unusual clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The FDA commissioner said she expected the pause to last a matter of days.

The clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets, the fragments in blood that normally form clots. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48.

One person died, and all of the cases remain under investigation. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.

The vast majority of those receiving vaccines through the Newtown district clinics were administered the Moderna vaccine, Culbert confirmed. And like other communities making similar announcements across the state, her district has no future J & J clinics planned.

“We will await further information from CT DPH and the CDC,” Culbert said.

Dr Jeannie Kenkare, chief medical officer of PhysicianOne Urgent Care, which hosted Newtown’s first drive-up COVID testing center in the spring of 2020, also commented on the J&J situation, saying, “Although it is likely that this pause will slow the rate of vaccine roll out, this pause is appropriate and reassuring, in a way.”

Kenkare said it shows that the monitoring and regulatory processes are working and are focused on keeping everyone safe.

“This complication, if it is indeed linked to the vaccine appears to be exceedingly rare,” she continued. “However, if you’ve already received this vaccine monitor your symptoms and immediately report any possible symptoms to your physician. The type of clot reported can cause symptoms such as headache, changes in vision, or weakness on one side of the face and body.”

While this pause is necessary, Kenkare said everyone “must continue to do our part to reduce community spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks, social distancing, and getting tested regularly.”

Check back for more localized updates as this story develops. Associated Press content was used in this report.