UPDATED 6 P.M. | Illinois is temporarily pausing usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday morning advising that steps be taken out of an abundance of caution after the vaccine was tied to six cases of a rare type of severe blood clot.
More than 6.8 million J&J vaccines have been administered in the U.S. Neither the Moderna nor the Pfizer vaccines have been tied to similar blood clotting disorders.
Sandy Salverson, vice president of pharmacy operations for Peoria-based OSF HealthCare, said people who already have received the J&J shot should not be overly concerned about the vaccine’s effectiveness, or the potential side effects.
“People that have previously gotten vaccinated prior to today with J&J should still expect that to be effective for them,” she said. “We are taking some caution to make sure that with this rare event, it's continued to be safe as we as we go forward.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is advising providers to instead use the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to keep current booked appointments.
That's the plan in Peoria County, where the previously-announced J&J clinics this week will now use the Moderna vaccines instead. Clinics at Pearce Community Center in Chillicothe, Illini Bluffs in Glasford, and Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Peoria will operate along the same guidelines.
The Moderna vaccine is two doses, rather than the single-dose Johnson & Johnson.
In Tazewell County, the Pfizer vaccine will be offered in lieu of J&J. At last report, Woodford County is awaiting further IDPH guidance before determining whether their J&J clinics scheduled for this week will be converted, or canceled.
Salverson said the pause of J&J vaccinations should not discourage people from getting the other COVID-19 shots.
“Vaccination against COVID-19 is still our hope for getting out of the pandemic,” she said. “It offers a great way to prevent the spread of the disease as well as the transmission between one another. So it's not enough of a reason to give up hope on any of the vaccines.”
In a statement, UnityPoint Health Central Illinois said it has not given any J&J vaccinations. OSF HealthCare also issued an official statement, saying it closely follows the guidelines recommended by the CDC and the FDA and will continue to confidently offer both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Salverson said people are often nervous when they hear about vaccine side effects and she is concerned the temporary stoppage of the J&J vaccine may increase hesitancy. She admits pausing use of a vaccine is unusual.
“It's not something that we do regularly. You see it more as drugs are being investigated, rather than something that's on the market. But given that we have this emergency use authorization, it seems reasonable, and they're really being cautious to make sure that again we're ensuring public safety as we go forward," she said.
The IDPH recommends anyone who develops a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks of receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to contact their health care provider.
“That's when they really need to seek medical attention,” said Salverson. “Again, this should be a really rare occurrence, but we want people to have that awareness. I don't think there should be excessive worrying.”
Salverson said she anticipates getting more guidance related to the J&J vaccine from the CDC and FDA within 48 to 72 hours.
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