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PA Dept. of Health: Pause in administering J&J vaccine is a sign that federal oversight of COVID-19 vaccinations is working

The CDC and FDA are reviewing six incidents in which those who received doses of the J&J vaccine developed rare blood clots within two weeks, the department said.
Credit: WPMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The recent decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Drug Administration to notify COVID-19 vaccine providers to pause administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a sign that the federal oversight is working, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Tuesday.

The Department said it is following the CDC and FDA recommendation out of an abundance of caution. 

The federal agencies are reviewing six incidents in which those who received doses of the J&J vaccine developed rare blood clots within two weeks, the department said. 

The CDC is convening an emergency meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices to further review cases for any details on the significance of this rare occurrence on Thursday, according to the department.

The six cases occurred in women between 18 and 48 who were among the 6.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, the department said Tuesday. 

This announcement shows that the federal oversight process of a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness is working, and all steps are being taken to protect Americans, according to the department.

“While this announcement is challenging, it highlights the vaccine evaluation process,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a press release. “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, the department said. If you are not aware of which vaccine type you are scheduled to receive, be assured that effective immediately, providers will not be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the department.

If you received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine and have any health concerns, contact your health care provider, the department said. 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 health care provider. 

The department also has sent communications to stakeholder groups and others who have received the J&J vaccine as a part of a special vaccination initiative.

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