April 14, 2021
St. Louis County COVID-19 Update
Department of Public Health and the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The Saint Louis County Department of Public Health will await more information from federal authorities before deciding whether to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. DPH paused its use of the vaccine Monday in light of recent safety concerns.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have switched to Pfizer for all scheduled appointments,” , County Executive Dr. Sam Page said Wednesday morning. “The recommendation by the CDC and FDA to halt the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine shows that the federal government is closely monitoring vaccines as they are administered.”
Of the more than 100,000 doses that the Department of Public Health has administered, only 1,739 were Johnson & Johnson. DPH is sending emails to individuals who were given that vaccine to alert them of the situation and ask that they report any side effects to a health care provider. So far, no instances of blood clots have been reported among those who received the vaccine from DPH.
The change should have no effect on the number of doses that the department is able to administer each week. More than 18,000 doses are scheduled in the upcoming week. Additional vaccination sites, including some pop-up events, are being planned throughout the county, and partnerships with local fire departments are proving successful in reaching underserved populations.
Residents can schedule an appointment for a Pfizer vaccine or find COVID-19 testing at stlcorona.com.
County Executive Press Confrence
This morning’s press conference with Dr. Faisal Khan, the director of St. Louis County Department of Public Health, can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkPkjdmlvvg
Sara Dayley
Public Information Officer
Saint Louis County Department of Public Health
O: (314) 615-5090
Twitter/FB/IG: @StlcountyDOH