SAN ANTONIO – WellMed will resume administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine beginning Wednesday at two San Antonio community vaccination sites. The health care company has 1,945 J&J doses available in San Antonio.
Appointments for the J&J vaccine at the Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior One-Stop Center at 8353 Culebra Road can be made online or by calling 833-968-1745. The line is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Appointments for the J&J vaccine at the Elvira Cisneros Senior Community Center at 517 SW Military Drive can be made online or by calling 833-968-1745. The line is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
The J&J vaccine has not been available recently after out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a joint statement on April 13 recommending a pause in the use of the vaccine at federal sites and encouraged states to follow this guidance as well. WellMed joined other health care providers in following the guidance.
The recommendation was in response to six cases of thrombosis and low platelet counts reported by six patients within the two weeks after receiving the J&J vaccine. Following a thorough safety review, the two agencies announced on Friday that they have determined the following:
- Use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine should be resumed in the United States.
- The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19.
- The FDA has determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.
At this time, the available data suggests that the chance of thrombosis-thrombocytopenia (TTS) syndrome occurring is very low, but the FDA and CDC will remain vigilant in continuing to investigate the risk.
Dr. Bryan Alsip, Chief Medical Officer at University Health said blood clots are a rare side-effect.
“COVID infections causes blood clots in patients and occur in many parts of the body. In this case these were specific types of clots that were associated with low platelet counts which made it slightly unusual,” he said.
Vaccine recipients or caregivers should review the Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers, which now includes information about the risk of TTS syndrome.
Online reservations are also available for the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Cisneros Center. You can call 833-968-1745 to make a reservation. The line is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Walk-in patients will also be accepted, based on vaccine availability.
Anyone age 18 and older is eligible to receive the J&J or Moderna vaccine. There is no cost to be vaccinated and health insurance is not required.
WellMed is also contacting its patients to let them know vaccinations are available for them and eligible family members at its primary care clinics and medical centers.
The health care provider has vaccinated more than 175,000 people at community vaccination clinics since Jan. 11. WellMed runs these public vaccination hubs in partnership with the City of San Antonio.
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