By: Maria Giovanna Jumper
On April 12, The Delphian reported on the availability of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccinations on campus for current Adelphi students. Unfortunately, because of new CDC guidelines, on Tuesday, April 13 the CDC suspended the administration of the vaccines.
Adelphi began administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one dose, on Friday, April 9, and had nearly completely dispensed all 400 available doses when the CDC announcement was made. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused due to concerns of a rare blood clot. After 6.8 million doses were administered nationwide, six women in the United States were found to have a rare blood clot, which led to the death of one and hospitalization of the others. The suspension is temporary while they try to figure out why this blood clot is happening. Although these clots have occurred in women who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it is currently unclear if the vaccine caused the clot.
In an email on April 13, Nicole Gaudino, the executive director of University Health and Wellness, wrote, “Based on the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York state, we have suspended our on-campus administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to our students.”
If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last three weeks, be on the look-out for the following symptoms: severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain and shortness of breath. If you experience any of these symptoms it is recommended that you contact your healthcare provider or the Health Services Center immediately. The Health Services Center can be contacted at healthservicescenter@adelphi.edu or 516-877-6002.
While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been temporarily suspended, health experts have been vocal about the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which use a different technology (mRNA). Keep in mind that as of April 6 anyone over the age of 16 years old is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine in New York. In a recent email, Gene Palma, the vice president of Wellness, Safety and Administration, shared information about New York State vaccination guidelines, as well as links to the New York State Covid-19 Vaccine website, the Centers for Disease Control Vaccination website and Adelphi’s vaccination FAQ page.
The pause on administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could last only a few days while they attempt to find the cause of the clots. While this might cause hesitation in some, getting vaccinated is a great way to protect from Covid-19 and it is recommended that community members get vaccinated. The pause shows that safety measures are effective to address issues that come up.
Gaudino stated, “On-campus vaccination appointments for students will resume when and if it is deemed safe to do so.”