Today, April 13, the FDA and CDC recommended a “pause” in the administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This announcement does not impact operations at the Burlington County COVID-19 Vaccine Mega-Site, where Virtua serves as the health care partner. The mega-site has received its vaccine allotment for the week ahead, including today, and it is exclusively the Pfizer vaccine product. All individuals with vaccine appointments should proceed as planned, and we look forward to welcoming you.

Virtua Health has distributed more than 284,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to date. Of those, less than one percent have been Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). We are unaware of any adverse responses to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine among our vaccine recipients.

The CDC recommends that people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination contact their health care provider.

The CDC and FDA’s joint statement reports that nearly 7 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the United States, making the six reported instances of blood clots “extremely rare.” Virtua Health encourages everyone to fully evaluate the real and pervasive threat of COVID-19 and reinforces the message that vaccination is our best path for ending the pandemic.

“The ‘pause’ for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will allow the medical and scientific communities to get a clearer picture of these uncommon events and the factors in play,” said Dr. Martin Topiel, chief of infection control at Virtua Health. “In the meanwhile, people should continue to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19.”