Today, April 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) issued a statement recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out
of an abundance of caution. New York State will follow the CDC and FDA recommendation and pause the use
of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine statewide immediately today while these health and safety agencies evaluate
next steps. All appointments for the Johnson & Johnson vaccines today at New York State mass vaccination sites
will be honored with the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr. Howard Zucker reported, “As the CDC and FDA have said, any adverse events related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine ‘appear to be extremely rare’ and, ‘People who have received the J & J vaccine who develop
severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.’
Dr. Zucker is in constant contact with the federal government, and updates will be made available to New Yorkers as more information becomes available. The Allegany County Department of Health will continue to provide updates as they are made available from New York State.
