The Pennsylvania Department of Health notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers to pause administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine until at least April 20 following the recommendation out of an abundance of caution from the CDC and FDA.
The department is taking these steps as a precaution until the CDC and FDA have time to review six incidents of rare blood clots that occurred within two weeks of receiving Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine. The CDC is convening an emergency meeting tomorrow of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices to further review cases for any details on the significance of this rare occurrence.
These six cases occurred in women between 18 and 48 who were among the 6.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
“While this announcement is challenging, it highlights the vaccine evaluation process,” said Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam. “The CDC and the FDA are closely monitoring vaccines for safety and effectiveness, and if there is a cause for concern, they will take action because safety is paramount. This protocol should give all Pennsylvanians confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, and individuals should proceed with getting vaccinated as soon as possible to fight the virus, particularly as our case counts rise.”
Individuals who have appointments scheduled to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination should keep those appointments, said Beam. If you are not aware which vaccine type you are scheduled to receive, she said that Pennsylvanians should be assured that effective immediately, providers will not be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
If you have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and have any health concerns, contact your healthcare provider. People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of their vaccination should contact their healthcare provider.
The department has also sent communications to stakeholder groups and others who have received the J&J vaccine as part of a special vaccination initiative.
