AHN, UPMC suspend use of 1-dose vaccine
On the day Pennsylvania opened up COVID-19 vaccinations to all adults, state officials Tuesday had to suspend the use of one of the three vaccines it had been counting on, the Johnson & Johnson shot, after federal authorities recommended pausing its use.
Allegheny Health Network and UPMC had already taken that action just hours after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other health authorities recommended halting use of the oneshot vaccine because of rare blood- clotting problems that were associated with the shots within about two weeks of getting the vaccine. Six women, ages 18 to 48, reported a rare blood-clotting disorder that occurred 6 to 13 days after the vaccine was administered.
“This is a recommendation, not a mandate,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said during a briefing Tuesday. Patients may consult with their physicians about whether the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks.
The state Department of Health notified all vaccine providers to stop using the J&J shots until at least April 20. The pause was taken as a precaution, the department said.
Pennsylvania was scheduled to receive 20,000 doses of the J&J vaccine this week, acting state Health Secretary Alison Beam said at a Tuesday briefing. To date, 262,739 J&J doses have been administered to Pennsylvanians.
But the Pfizer-BioNTech, 159,120 doses, and Moderna vaccine, 117,000 doses, make up the lion’s share of vaccines that are scheduled to be shipped to providers this week, Ms. Beam said, and she encouraged people who had signed up for those to keep their appointments.
Health authorities say the risk of problems is quite low: Some 6.8 million J&J shots have been given in the U.S., with only six blood-clotting issues reported so far.
Nevertheless, the questions prompted New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson to “proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe.”
“We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities and we strongly support the open communication of this information to health care professionals and the public,” the company said in a statement.
A UPMC drive-up vaccination clinic planned Wednesday and Thursday at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer, where the J&J vaccine was to be given, will continue with the PfizerBioNTech vaccine instead, a spokesman said. Some 12,000 shots were anticipated to be administered, about 700 shots an hour.
In a statement, AHN said it would continue administering the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses. The Allegheny County Health Department hasn’t administered the J&J vaccine and neither has any other Pittsburgh area health system.
The rare blood-clotting disorder associated with the J&J vaccine is believed to be an immune response that involves activation of the person’s platelets, the smallest blood cells, which stop the bleeding at cuts, Dr. Marks said.
The standard treatment for clots caused by the vaccine could be fatal in these cases, he said, so it’s important for doctors to know whether a patient has recently received the J&J vaccine if they are complaining of severe headache, leg or abdominal pain or shortness of breath, which differ from the flu-like symptoms many people experience after being vaccinated.
The risk of problems for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a month ago is very low, said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the CDC. People who received the vaccine more recently and experience symptoms should consult with their doctor, officials said.
In March, the J&J vaccine was offered to some 200,000 teachers and staff members in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania National Guard members administered the shots through 29 Intermediate Units in the state.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association isn’t aware of any school staff member reporting serious side effects due to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine but the teachers union is remaining vigilant, spokesman Chris Lilienthal said.
He said the bulk of the school staff who received their COVID-19 vaccinations got their shots more than two weeks ago.
The state also has been administering the J&J vaccine to people who live and work in its prisons.
AHN administered the J&J vaccine at a two-day clinic April 9 and 10 in Monroeville, where preparations were made for 13,000 people to get the shots.
The health network held a previously planned mass vaccination clinic Tuesday at CCAC’s South Campus in West Mifflin, but it administered the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at that site.
Smaller vaccine providers are also holding off on administering J&J shots.
Nickman’s Drug had opened registration Tuesday for the J&J vaccine at three of its five stores in Fayette County, but won’t be giving the shots, said pharmacist Peter Kreckel, who is also director of clinical services.
Instead, the store is contacting people who registered for the J&J shot to reschedule them for the Moderna vaccine, which is offered at Nickman’s stores in Hopwood and Masontown.
“Nobody saw this coming,” Mr. Kreckel said. “We were just overjoyed to be able to get the vaccine and start administering it, but we are following FDA guidance and holding all doses. We are doing everything we can to protect our patients.”