NY Pauses Johnson & Johnson Vaccine after FDA/CDC Guidance

Updated: April 15, 2021 @ 10:00 am

New York state immediately paused the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for COVID-19 on Tuesday, following federal guidance after six people in the U.S. developed a rare blood clot after receiving it.

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker issued the following statement confirming New York would follow the joint recommendation from the Federal Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER DR. HOWARD ZUCKER REGARDING JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE

"Today the CDC and FDA issued a statement recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution. New York State will follow the CDC and FDA recommendation and pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine statewide immediately today while these health and safety agencies evaluate next steps. All appointments for Johnson & Johnson vaccines today at New York State mass vaccination sites will be honored with the Pfizer vaccine.

"As the CDC and FDA have said, any adverse events related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine 'appear to be extremely rare' and, 'People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.' "I am in constant contact with the federal government and we will update New Yorkers as more information becomes available."

Additional Resources:

• CDC has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Alert: Cases of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia after Receipt of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine, which contains detailed recommendations for clinicians and other types of professionals.

• NEW**: CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call will present the latest evidence on cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) associated with the administration of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine. Speakers will discuss what is known about CVST, the importance of early detection, and updated vaccine recommendations.

Thursday, April 15 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Join the session

The slides will be available under “Call Materials” on the COCA Call webpage and a recording will be posted on the page a few hours after the event ends.

• UPDATED: CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on April 14 and has not yet voted on the vaccine outcome. There will be an additional meeting shortly after a review of data. Updates will be coming shortly.

• CDC and FDA provided additional information and answered questions today at a media briefing at 10 AM ET. A recording of that media is now available:

• Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

CHCANYS Emergency Management team will be sending out any relevant updates / guidance as they become available. If you need immediate assistance, please contact emteam@chcanys.org.