City of Kansas City, MO

04/13/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/13/2021 13:50

KCMO Health Department will halt vaccinating with Johnson & Johnson vaccine while CDC & FDA investigate rare blood clots

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS), have paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, and the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department will follow this precaution. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. They issued a joint statement to explain the decision to temporarily pause the J&J vaccine.

The health department provided 24 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine at an internal clinic on Thursday, April 8. No serious adverse reactions have been reported. The Kansas City Health Department is vaccinating against COVID-19 with the Moderna and Pfizer two-dose vaccines. While we have put in orders for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, we have not received any direct shipments. All of our public clinics have administered either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Per the federal health authorities, 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. Patients with other clinical questions should contact their health care provider.

The health department clinics are located at:

Smith-Hale Middle School (old Hickman Mills H.S.)
9010A Old Santa Fe Road
KCMO 64138

Former Gen-X store
3100 Prospect Ave.
KCMO 64128

Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center
3700 Blue Parkway
KCMO 64130

When you book your appointment, you will know which vaccine you will be receiving. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose three weeks after the first dose, and Moderna's second dose is four weeks following the first.

For convenience, residents can schedule their own appointments at https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus. If you don't have access to the digital appointment platform, clinic staff can accommodate a limited number of unscheduled, same-day vaccinations. Call 311 and staff can pre-register you over the phone or visit the clinic and staff will complete registration at that time. However, please note that those without an appointment will likely have longer wait-times, depending on the number of people coming in for appointments.