PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) - UPMC and Allegheny Health Network say they are pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as recommended by the FDA and CDC.
Dr. Donald Yealy, chief medical officer and senior vice president of UPMC told Newsradio KDKA's Marty Griffin their drive-through clinics scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills are still on, but they will use Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
The clinics were initially to use the J&J shot to vaccinate over 12,000 people.
"We will hold both of those clinics, and everyone who already has a scheduled appointment will be able to get a vaccine of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine," Yealy said.
He called the J&J pause "a light tapping of the breaks" for better understanding of the issue.
Yealy said UPMC will handle scheduling second dose appointments as they have been at all of their other clinics using a two-dose vaccine.
"Don't cancel, and please don't lose your enthusiasm about getting vaccinated," he said.
AHN, which hosted J&J clinics last week, also paused use of the vaccine.
In a statement, AHN said they will continue to monitor the situation and wait for more guidance from federal health organizations.
"In line with this recommendation from the CDC, FDA and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) will pause distribution of the J&J vaccine," the statement read, in part. "The network will continue to administer both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines."
"While this announcement is challenging, it highlights the vaccine evaluation process," Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. "The CDC and the FDA are closely monitoring vaccines for safety and effectiveness, and if there is a cause for concern, they will take action because safety is paramount. This protocol should give all Pennsylvanians confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, and individuals should proceed with getting vaccinated as soon as possible to fight the virus, particularly as our case counts rise."
AHN says they have not received reports of the blood clotting condition from individuals following vaccination with the J&J vaccine.
The Wolf administration said anyone who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and has health concerns should contact their health care provider including those who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of vaccination.
