NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York City is making some adjustments in its vaccine rollout after pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as the federal government investigates reports of blood clotting in six women who got the shot.
The city has suspended its program to vaccinate homebound seniors through Sunday since the effort relies on the use of the single-dose shot.
Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said they are working on rescheduling appointments and helping to arrange transport to a nearby site by taxi or ambulette.
About 4,000 appointments for the J&J vaccine scheduled for Tuesday at sites across the five boroughs will be rescheduled.
"Everyone who was scheduled to come to one of our centers will get a new appointment, obviously with Moderna or Pfizer vaccine for the foreseeable future," Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday.
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At his daily briefing Tuesday, the mayor said the vaccine sites will need more Pfizer and Moderna doses immediately.
"The federal government needs to step in and any place that's not using their vaccines send them to New York City," de Blasio said. "We need more vaccine immediately to make up for this challenge."
Vaccine sites across the city had administered 234,000 J&J shots with no serious adverse reactions.
De Blasio and the city's health commissioner, Dr. David Chokshi, were among those who received the Johnson & Johnson shot.
"We believe in the effectiveness of this vaccine, but obviously we take seriously any warning and it needs to be fully investigated," de Blasio said. "We have a lot of work to do to figure out how to make other adjustments and obviously we'll be watching very, very carefully for the results of the federal investigation."
The mayor said he does not feel any less confident in the vaccination.
"It doesn't change my view in the end and I had a very successful experience with the vaccination," he said.
Chokshi said the pause is a sign the vaccine system is working as it should by flagging abnormal reactions.
On Wednesday, Chokshi assured those who did received the J&J shot that an adverse side effect is extremely unlikely.
"If you experience symptoms like severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of having received the Johnson & Johnson vaccination please do call your doctor," he said.
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