Delaware County Pauses Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Administration

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — After the FDA and CDC reported instances of blood clots in patients receiving the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, Delaware County has suspended its administration of that particular vaccine.

Officials said there is no timeline as to when Delaware County will start administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine again.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been used at the county’s large-scale vaccination site at Delaware County Community College, and as such the county will be temporarily relocating this site and will administer either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

Those with appointments at Delaware County Community College will be contacted with updated appointment information.

The county had been using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for its homebound program and its homeless outreach program. With the pause on its use, the county will be using the Moderna vaccine for these two programs.

Larger quantities of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine have been requested by the county.
Under the Governor’s direction, all adults in Pennsylvania are eligible on Tuesday to schedule coronavirus vaccination appointments.

Delaware County residents who are at high risk and in Phase 1A and are having difficulty scheduling a vaccine appointment can contact the Delaware County COVID-19 Call Center at 484-276-2100.

People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and have developed a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after the vaccination should contact their health care provider.

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

The CDC and the FDA are recommending that vaccine providers in the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

This temporary pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being done out of an abundance of caution after six reported U.S. cases of a rare but severe type of blood clot was found in individuals after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The pause is to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.