COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Johnson & Johnson

April 13, 2021

Dear SLU community members,

This morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a pause on the administration of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine while they investigate possible ties to a rare clotting disorder.

According to federal authorities, this serious side effect was experienced by six women, one of whom has died, another has been hospitalized, out of the estimated 6.8 million Americans who have been vaccinated with the J&J vaccine. You can read more about that announcement here.

Shortly after the federal alert, the Missouri health officials directed all vaccine clinics in the state to halt use of the J&J vaccination.

Within an hour of the joint FDA-CDC announcement, our vaccine team at SLU quickly pivoted and informed more than 450 people scheduled for today’s vaccine clinic that they would be administered the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rather than the “one-and-done” J&J dose.

Originally, the team planned to host two additional J&J clinics this week (Thursday, 3-7 p.m. and Friday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.). Those clinics will now be converted to first dose Moderna clinics.

You can view clinic dates/times and register here.
(Note: SLU faculty, staff, students can register family, too!)

I want to make you aware of these opportunities because I know many students were eager to get the single J&J shot before they head home for summer break. This is especially important for our students, who may not be on campus in 28 days to obtain their second Moderna dose. We still believe that getting vaccinated now is critical for our community in order to keep our campus safe and help us return to a more normal college experience.

I want to share how the two-dose Moderna series could still work for students.

• Getting your second dose at SLU: If you receive the first dose of Moderna at SLU this week, we can schedule your second dose for May 13 or May 15 –– approximately 28 days after the first shot.
• Relevant on-campus housing logistics: Students who aren’t graduating this May are required to move out of their on-campus housing by 8 p.m. on May 18. Students who are graduating in May are required to move out of on-campus housing by 12 p.m. on May 23.
• Can’t get your second dose at SLU?: We encourage you to identify a vaccination site near your home that could provide you with your second dose in 28 days. Vaccine access is increasing dramatically across the U.S., so finding a source for a second dose of Moderna should not be that difficult.

If you have any questions, please email pandemic@slu.edu.

Stay safe and be well.

Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., RN, CIC, FAPIC
Special Assistant to the President
Director, Institute for Biosecurity
Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College for Public Health and Social Justice