Thread by @NYCHealthCommr

As the City’s doctor, I like to tell New Yorkers what I would say to my own patients – when it comes to vaccines, there are no bad questions. My starting point in answering them is empathy, followed by the facts. 🧵

Over the last 24 hours, we have fielded a lot of questions due to the news about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You could say yesterday was a "curveball." But it was a pitch we look for.

Adverse events are reported to a national database precisely so that we can monitor for patterns that call for greater study, which is what we’re doing now.

This monitoring acts as a highly sensitive warning system.

The decision to “pause” means our government is following the science and making safety the utmost priority – a position we strongly agree with.

Vaccines usually carry a very small risk of side effects. But it’s also important to keep in mind the other side of the equation – to remember that authorized vaccines protect us from diseases that threaten us so much more.

While our federal partners are doing their due diligence, the pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will have an impact on our operations:

First, the vast majority of New Yorkers who booked appointments for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will keep the same appointment and receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine instead.

Second, we did have to reschedule around 4,000 people yesterday. Those New Yorkers received messages to help them find new appointments.

Third, the homebound program is suspended through this Sunday. We are currently working on rescheduling appointments and helping to arrange transport to a vaccine site by taxi or ambulette if possible.

For New Yorkers, like me, who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, I do want to assure you that it is extremely unlikely that you will experience anything like the adverse events that have been reported.

If you experience symptoms like severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within 3 weeks after vaccination – call your doctor.