BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — New federal recommendations call for an immediate pause of the Johnson & Johnson single use vaccine.
The CDC and FDA recommending the pause Tuesday after reports of severe, but rare blood clots occurring in six women in the United States.
The women ranged in age from 18 to 48. The reaction occurring between six to 13 days after being vaccinated. One woman has died.
But the clots occurring in few in one out of a million people.
“We’re having an incidents of Covid coming back. If you don't get vaccinated, your changes are which bucket do want,” declared Dr. Raul Vasquez, Urban Family Practice, Buffalo.
Dr. Vasquez says despite these latest concerns with the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, vaccination benefits still out weight the risk of Covid.
“To get one death of seven million people — it’s really hard to predict,” Dr. Vasquez explained.
Urban Family Practice used the J&J vaccine at a recent pop-up clinic about a week ago.
Dr. Vasquez says about 400-people received it.
“So if you did have the Johnson & Johnson — the things to look out for — you're having a lot of headaches, if you're having blurry vision, if you feel like extremity weakness, if you pass out or things like that — you should call your primary care doctor,” described Dr. Vasquez. “We’re going to be pushing out information. We’ll get word out. If no symptoms are being developed, you're going to be okay, remember it's one in a million people to have this issue.”
“Did you have anymore pop-ups planned with the J&J?,” Buckley asked.
“No,” replied Dr. Vasquez. “I think what we are going to do is continue with the Moderna.”
Calvary Baptist Church on Genesee Street in Buffalo, a pop-up vaccine clinic was scheduled for Wednesday, but had to be canceled because they were planning to use the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
There is no word yet from the church on when that pop-up clinic in the Humbolt neighborhood would be rescheduled.
Wegmans and Tops pharmacies are also canceling appointments for now.
Tops spokesperson Kathy Sautter says for now anyone who was scheduled to receive one and done J&J vaccine will be rescheduled once doses of the Moderna vaccine arrive.
“We’ve been contacting our customers to let them know about this and letting them know we are going to try to schedule them for the Moderna shots as soon as they become available to us,” explained Sautter.
SUNY received 21,000 doses of the J&J vaccine to distribute to students and some campuses, including the University at Buffalo were forced to cancel appointments.
"In coordination with SUNY and following a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University at Buffalo will pause plans to use the Johnson & Johnson single dose coronavirus vaccine at an on-campus vaccination site for students scheduled to open on Thursday in the Student Union.
UB will provide more information about its plans for the on-campus vaccination site over the next few days.
The health and safety of UB students, faculty, staff and visitors remains paramount in all of the university’s plans and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic."
University at Buffalo
But the SUNY chancellor says students will still be able to get other vaccines.
“Hopefully this is just a small bump in the road. I urge all of our college students on their campus to reach out to their campuses because in many cases alternatives have already been made, stated Chancellor Jim Malatra.
Canisius College in Buffalo also shut down its vaccinations clinics Tuesday to comply with the pause.
The college says its health center is reaching out to anyone w ho has already received the J&J vaccine.
Canisius issued the following written statement:
"Canisius College discontinued its Covid-19 vaccination clinics today in compliance with the recommendations issued this morning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pause use of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.
Members of the campus community who received the vaccine are being contacted by the college’s Health Center and provided additional information.
The college is proceeding with all the necessary safety measures to ensure students can continue to safely enjoy the full campus experience. We continue to encourage members of our community who are not vaccinated to seek opportunities to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines."
Canisius College
