Released: April 13, 2021
Delaware County has paused the use of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine as directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending that vaccine providers in the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. This temporary pause in J&J vaccine is being done out of an abundance of caution after six reported U.S. cases of a rare but severe type of blood clot was found in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. The pause is to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.
As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine have been administered in the United States. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. The FDA’s full statement can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/joint-cdc-and-fda-statement-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine
There is no timeline as to when Delaware County will resume administering the J&J vaccine. The FDA is reviewing the situation.
The County had been using the J&J vaccine for its homebound program and its homeless outreach program and will now be using the Moderna vaccine for these two programs. The J&J vaccine had been used at County’s large-scale vaccination site at Delaware County Community College. The County will be temporarily relocating this site and will administer either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. People who have appointments at Delaware County Community College will be contacted with updated appointment information.
The County is requesting larger quantities of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine and realizes that there will be a greater demand for these two vaccines across the country. Under the Governor’s direction, all adults in Pennsylvania are eligible on April 13 to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Delaware County residents who are at high risk and in Phase 1A and are having difficulty scheduling a vaccine appointment can contact the Delaware County COVID-19 Call Center: 484-276-2100.
People who have received the J&J vaccine and have developed a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after the vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html