J&J Pause Won't Delay Atlantic Health's COVID Vaccine Efforts

NORTH JERSEY — Atlantic Health Systems, a major COVID-19 vaccine provider in North Jersey, will not face delays associated with the pause of Johnson & Johnson inoculations. The health care company has been administering Pfizer and Moderna shots at its sites, according to a spokesperson.

Atlantic Health Systems partnered with Morris County to run the Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center at the former Sears in Rockaway Townsquare Mall. Officials said in mid-March that 3,500 people received vaccinations per day at the facility.

The company also provides COVID-19 shots at the following locations:

• Atlantic AdvancED Urgent Care, Mountain Lakes
• Atlantic Health Pavilion, Pompton Plains
• Atlantic Urgent Care at Clark
• Atlantic Visiting Nurse - Basking Ridge
• Hackettstown Medical Center - Medical Office Building
• Newton Medical Center
• Summit Community Center

Federal health agencies are reviewing the J&J vaccines after six women who received them developed blood clots afterward. Close to 7 million people have received the vaccine nationally.

As a result, the New Jersey Department of Health paused administration of the J&J vaccine "out of an abundance of caution," said state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. The decision comes from the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA and CDC said that cases of the blood clot known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis have been rare. But anyone who has received the J&J shot should contact their health care provider if they developed abdominal pain, leg pain, shortness of breath, severe headache or other unusual symptoms within three weeks of inoculation.

Read more: NJ Pauses Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine

Although Atlantic Health's operations will go essentially unchanged, some local vaccine sites have needed to put a pause on J&J vaccinations. Wegmans, CVS, Walgreens and Stop & Shop are among several major pharmacies that stopped using J&J vaccinations for the time being. Read more: NJ Pharmacies To Stop Using Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

The development came days after J&J announced it would scale back shipments of its vaccine because of manufacturing issues at a major Baltimore plant. The federal government allocated only 700,000 J&J shots to states this week — down from 4.9 million last week.

New Jersey will receive 466,000 J&J vaccines this week after getting 550,000 the prior week.

Zufall Health — which has four listed vaccination sites in Morris, Somerset and Warren Counties — had been administering the Moderna and J&J shots. The organization halted use of the J&J shots but will continue providing Moderna vaccines.

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