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Detroit ‘Neighborhood Vaccine Week’ still on amid J&J vaccine pause

City to administer Pfizer vaccine instead of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

A nurse injects a patient with a dose of AstraZeneca vaccine in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Friday March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/ Diomande Ble Blonde) (Diomande Ble Blonde, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

DETROIT – The city of Detroit will still be administering coronavirus vaccines to individuals participating in “Neighborhood Vaccine Week” this week amid the nation’s recommendation to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

Throughout the week of April 12, Detroit was set to administer Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to residents participating in Neighborhood Vaccine Week. On Tuesday morning, U.S. health officials recommended pausing use of the J&J vaccine amid news that it may be linked to a few extremely rare reactions.

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Detroit officials say that anyone who made a vaccination appointment this week should keep it, and they will instead administer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines instead of J&J vaccines.

“Based on the recommendation from the CDC and FDA, the Detroit Health Department is halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further notice. The city has a sufficient supply of Moderna and Pfizer to vaccinate everyone who had an appointment scheduled this week at the Northwest Activity Center or the neighborhood clinics for a J&J shot. If you were scheduled for a J&J shot and want to keep your same appointment, you will be given the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. You will receive an appointment for your second dose 3-4 weeks later. Appointments at the TCF center and Saturday community centers are unaffected by this announcement. They have always been Pfizer/Moderna.”

Denise Fair, Detroit Health Department

The CDC issued a statement Tuesday recommending that use of the J&J vaccine should be paused “out of an abundance of caution” after six recipients developed a rare blood clot disorder. The one-shot J&J vaccine has reportedly been administered to 6.8 million people throughout the nation so far, so the percentage of people who have developed problems from it is 0.00008%.

The other two major COVID vaccines in the U.S. -- Pfizer and Moderna -- have not been linked to any such problems.

The city of Detroit is offering free coronavirus vaccinations at eight new locations throughout the week in an effort to vaccinate as many residents as possible. On Tuesday, vaccinations will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical Center in Detroit (17101 Hubbell Avenue, Detroit).

Vaccination appointments must be made in advance by calling 313-230-0505. Appointments are available each day this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here’s the lineup for the rest of the week:

Wednesday, April 14

Thursday, April 15

Friday, April 16

There are several location options for individuals seeking to get vaccinated in Detroit, including the city’s new walk-up vaccination clinic at the TCF Center.

More: Looking for COVID-19 vaccines in Metro Detroit: Track openings, clinics, appointments


Further reading: US health officials recommend pause for Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after rare blood clotting cases


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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