COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
April 13, 2021
Today, 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 (J&J) vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This pause is following six reported cases of a rare type of blood clot out of the 6.8 million J&J vaccine doses that have been administered; this represents a .0000008 percentage.
New York State is following the CDC and the FDA recommendations in pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine statewide while these federal health and safety agencies evaluate next steps.
It is important to note that globally there have been 180 million doses administered of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines with no reported clotting issues. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been administered to 82 million people and approximately 222 cases or .0000027 percentage are being investigated for blood clotting issues.
As evidence by these percentages, these are very rare cases. Pausing the administration of the J&J vaccine is to allow researchers to determine the cause and effect, define the clotting symptoms, and identify the appropriate treatment regimens for primary care providers to give affected patients. The blood clotting syndrome has primarily affected women below the age of 60 worldwide, but in the U.S. the ages of the six women ranged between 18-48 years of age and the clots occurred between 1 to 3 weeks after vaccination with a median time of 9 days.
If you received the J&J vaccine, please note the following time periods:
- Within 48 hours of receiving a dose of the J&J vaccine, you may experience a headache as a common side effect along with fever, fatigue, etc.
- Less than one week– no clotting cases have been reported.
- One to three weeks—contact your primary care provider if you develop a severe lasting headache, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or severe leg pain.
- More than 3 weeks ago– you have nil risk based on our current analysis.
An Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be convened by the CDC on Wednesday 4.14.21 to further review these cases and assess their potential significance.
To see the CDC and FDA’s full joint statement, please click HERE.
We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. Contact your Care Manager for additional support as needed.
PHP Members, click HERE for information on county/regional specific resources!
To set up a COVID-19 Vaccine appointment speak to your Care Manager! Or
Go to the ‘Am I Eligible’ website or call the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829)
In an effort to best support our members, Partners Health Plan is participating in meetings with the NY Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that we are kept apprised of new information on the COVID-19 vaccine program that will be shared with you and our network of providers.
Below is current information on general vaccine distribution:
- PHP members will be covered for the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine, without any out-of-pocket expense
- State and Federal governments are overseeing vaccine distribution timelines
- Vaccination for COVID-19 will be done in phases
- The initial vaccine offering will be targeted to frontline healthcare workers, those in specific age category, and individuals with certain underlying conditions. On 2/5/21, Gov. Cuomo announced the inclusion of New Yorkers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities on the eligibility list. For a link to that announcement click HERE.
- Later, as supplies increase, the vaccine will be made available for other essential workers and the general population
- Vaccines may require more than one dose, and in most cases require completion of an applicable consent form
As further updates are received, PHP will post new items to our website, share information through our newsletter and e-mail subscriber list, and update Care Coordination teams in order to assist you. Please remain safe by washing your hands often, social distancing, and wearing a mask in public.
During these unprecedented times, PHP’s mission remains the same. Our team has always understood the unique needs of our members and will continue to be there for you to remain healthy and safe.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR CURRENT COVID-19 NEWSLETTER
Newsletter highlights include:
- Who is Eligible?
- How do I make an appointment?
- Tips for Scheduling & Scheduling Resources
- Can My Care Manager assist me?
- How to Prepare for an Appointment
- Informed Consent
- The V-Safe Program
Information for NYC Residents
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has announced that Centers for Urgent Care, an urgent care network with locations in Brooklyn and Queens, will be hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics. People with I/DD that live in the community and are 18 and older, can preregister for the vaccine using the link below.
Please note this is pre-registration only and confirmation will depend on vaccine supply. Centers for Urgent Care will contact the member to confirm appointments.
Once an appointment has been confirmed, prior to going to the appointment:
- The member scheduled to receive the COVID-19 vaccine must complete and bring to their appointment a COVID-19 Immunization Screening and Consent Form.
- On the day of appointment, they must complete a New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form.
- In addition, individuals who are eligible must provide proof of eligibility such as a doctor’s letter or other identification/ medical information showing eligibility.
How to Pre-Register:
- Go to https://registration.cucvaccinations.com/
- Enter email
- Enter shared access code: dohvaccine
- Complete registration questions (Name, email, phone).
- Password will be emailed to address entered, coming from (do-notreply@cucvaccinations.com). Check spam folder if you do not see it in your Inbox.
New Announcement for Johnson & Johnson, one-dose vaccines:
Mass Vaccination Sites at Yankee Stadium, Javits Center, and the New York State Fair to Add Additional Appointments and Operate 24/7. Visit the Governor’s site page for more information by clicking HERE.
For more information on the State’s Vaccination Program, click here: New York State Vaccination Program
For information from the CDC on COVID-19 vaccine, including potential adverse effects, click here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
To subscribe to PHP’s newsletters & email alerts, click here: PHP Newsletters
For more information on COVID-19 & Flu Season, click here: Member Health Library
