Aurora, Elgin vaccination clinics canceled Tuesday after Illinois pauses use of Johnson & Johnson shots

The Kane County Health Department has canceled its vaccination appointments at the Aurora and Elgin clinics on Tuesday, after the Illinois Department of Public Health paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine.

The Kane Vax Hub in Batavia remains open Tuesday.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was scheduled to be administered in Aurora and Elgin on Tuesday. Those two sites will resume operations on Wednesday, as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are scheduled to be administered for the rest of the week at the county’s three vaccination sites.

The update comes Tuesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration issued a joint statement asking all states to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as the agencies investigate blood clots in six women that occurred within six to 16 days after vaccination. The clots were observed along with reduced platelet counts — making the usual treatment for blood clots, the blood thinner heparin, potentially “dangerous.”

More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.

Those who were scheduled for a vaccination appointment today in Aurora and Elgin will be rescheduled for the Pfizer first dose next Tuesday, April 20. Those who wish to schedule sooner can go to KaneVax.org for other appointments.

“I would like to encourage everyone who was scheduled to receive the Johnson and Johnson vaccine today at the Aurora and Elgin mass vaccination sites to please reschedule their appointments,” said County Board Chairman Corinne Pierog in a news release. “Our commitment to the safety of our residents is unwavering. Even though the CDC and IDPH have placed a pause on administering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, residents should feel confident about Moderna and Pfizer and get vaccinated.”

“We are working with State and Federal partners to monitor the situation. Our primary goal is protecting resident safety,” said Kathy Fosser, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, interim executive director of the Kane County Health Department.

The health department will have updates as more information becomes available.

For additional information and current updates on the COVID-19 situation, visit the KCHD website.