Berrien County Health Department puts a pause on J&J vaccines

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – The Berrien County Health Department announced today that it will be pausing the administering of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in response to recommendations by the FDA and CDC.

The previously planned J&J vaccinations clinic on Thursday, April 15 will now be a Moderna vaccination clinic. The second dose return date will be on Thursday, May 13.

All individuals with scheduled appointments for the April 15 clinic will be notified of the vaccine change.

Both the CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of an extremely rare type of blood clots in people after getting the J&J shot. The CDC will meet with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to further review these cases.

The FDA will review that analysis as it investigates these cases.

The Berrien County Health Department will release more information about future J&J vaccine clinics as more information becomes available.

“Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare, and there have not been any reported adverse events reported in Berrien County after the administration of the J&J vaccine,” said Nicki Britten, health officer at the Berrien County Health Department. “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for all vaccine providers, and we are assured that the data is being reviewed swiftly by the experts.”

The Health Department will continue to administer the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Openings for these vaccine appointments can be found here.

Residents who need help scheduling an appointment can call 1-800-815-5485.