BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – The FDA and CDC’s decision to pause Johnson and Johnson shots nationwide is impacting hundreds in Benton County.

Lt. Shannon Jenkins with Benton County Sheriff’s Office said those held in the jail will be going even longer without vaccines now.

She said with more than 600 inmates and detainees, it has been hard to get vaccines in the first place, but just prior to the announcement that Johnson and Johnson shots had been paused, the detention center learned they would finally get vaccines.

“This has been a process,” Lt. Jenkins said. “We’ve been working on getting a vaccine since it was opened up to detention facilities.”

“It wasn’t the fact that we were waiting or holding out for a particular vaccine,” Lt. Jenkins said. “We were just needing a vaccine and we had an opportunity to get enough vaccines through Johnson and Johnson then it came out that that needed to be paused, so we’re at a halt now.”

Jenkins added the Johnson and Johnson vaccines were particularly convenient for the jail because they often do not have detainees or inmates inside the jail long enough to give them a second shot- whether that is because they get released or are transferred.

So far, there is no word on if they will get Moderna of Pfizer shots instead while Johnson and Johnson is on hold.