The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has paused dispensing of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its vaccination dispensing locations, following state and federal recommendations. The action follows word that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data about an extremely rare type of blood clot that has been reported in six people who received that vaccine in the United States.
“As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine have been administered in the US,” the county said in a news release Tuesday. “CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving a rare and severe type of blood clot that was reported in six people after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination.”
Suffolk County officials say they are not aware of any cases occurring among the approximately 2,000 residents who have received this vaccine through the county Health Department thus far. Those residents who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care practitioners promptly, the county says.
“While this issue appears to be extremely rare, CDC and FDA are acting in a very cautious manner that underscores our commitment to vaccine safety,” Suffolk County Health Commission Gregson Pigott, MD said. “We will be closely monitoring the federal review process and use that information to help guide our efforts here in Suffolk County in the days ahead.”
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine represents about two percent of the total supply of vaccines the Department of Health has received to date, the county says, so the pause is not expected to dramatically slow the pace of vaccinations here. The county noted that it doesn’t maintain data on other entities dispensing vaccines here, and the figures cited represent only those vaccinations received through a county-run distribution center.
“Residents who currently have appointments to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should watch for a notification from their provider about canceling, postponing or rescheduling the appointment,” the news release said.”If your appointment is cancelled, you can look for other vaccination appointments through the Vaccine Locator map, local pharmacies or your area.”
Statement from Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson issued a statement from its New Brunswick, NJ headquarters.
“The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority,” the statement said. “We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine … Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine.”
“In addition, we have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities,” the company said. “We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe.”
“We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”
For more information on the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
The CDC is expected to convene a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on April 14 to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. The FDA is to review that analysis as it also investigates the cases. Meantime, until that process is complete, Suffolk County health officials say they will continue to dispense the allocations of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines that the county receives from New York State.
