Chicago State University J&J Vaccine Site To Offer Pfizer Shot

CHICAGO — The Far South Side's largest vaccination site at Chicago State University is "on pause" due to federal recommendations that providers stop using Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while scientists review six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals who received the one-shot dose.

Arwady said the city did not have vaccinations at Chicago State scheduled for Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, the city plans to honor existing appointments with Pfizer shots.

"People will be able to keep their appointments as scheduled, but they will receive the Pfizer vaccine instead," Arwady said. Emails have been sent to people who already have appointments.

Chicago public health department commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the temporary halt on using Johnson & Johnson vaccine immediately stalled the city's effort to vaccinate home-bound residents, airline employees at O'Hare Airport, union employees and a restaurant industry vaccination effort scheduled for Tuesday. The city has also sidelined its vaccination bus, which offered Johnson & Johnson vaccines on a walk-up basis in parts of town hit hardest by COVID-19.

The city's plans to offer Johnson & Johnson vaccine for walk-in appointments at the United Center starting next week also have been put on hold.

"We did have a lot of plans for Johnson & Johnson [vaccine] which are on pause right now while we wait to hear about this. ... I expect this to be a relatively short-term pause while scientists look at the data," Arwady said Tuesday.

"I'm really committed particularly to that Chicago State site because it is on the Far South Side, one of the regions where we're seeing slower vaccination uptake," she said.