The Illinois Department of Public Health, Cook County Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health have suspended distributing the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following recommendations from the FDA and CDC after reports of six people experiencing blood clots about two weeks after vaccination, officials said Tuesday.
Suburban counties also are pausing Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution because of the federal recommendations.
Walgreens, which has the largest pharmacy vaccination program in Illinois, said in a statement that it, too, would suspend use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “out of an abundance of caution.” The pharmacy chain said it would reach out to patients with appointments and reschedule them for vaccinations from other manufacturers “as supply allows.”
Jewel-Osco said Tuesday it will also pause giving the vaccine. People with scheduled appointments will be notified that their appointments are canceled and will be directed to a link to reschedule for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, Jewel-Osco said in a statement. Appointments for those vaccines will be added to the chain’s online scheduler as they become available.
Also on Tuesday, an additional 100,729 coronavirus vaccine doses were administered in Illinois, while the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 for the first time since mid-February, public health officials reported.
Illinois public health officials Tuesday reported 3,193 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 17 additional deaths. That brings the state’s totals to 1,285,398 cases and 21,540 deaths overall.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area:
4:20 p.m.: Cook County offers other vaccines to people who signed up for Johnson & Johnson
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday said she was confident local residents won’t be deterred from getting vaccinated against COVID-19 because they’re worried about the few people who experienced blood clots after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Cook County halted Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, following recommendations from the FDA and CDC after reports of six people experiencing blood clots about two weeks after vaccination.
The county was set to offer 8,000 upcoming Johnson & Johnson vaccine appointments Tuesday, among a batch of 35,000 new appointments for first doses at county-run clinics. Instead, the county will offer 27,000 appointments for either Pfizer or Moderna first-dose shots.
Meanwhile, county officials said another 3,000 people who already had signed up to get Johnson & Johnson shots this week at a county-run site will have the option of keeping their appointments and instead getting one of the other vaccines that are available, or canceling and trying to get Johnson & Johnson at a later date.
Though local officials are constantly fighting to overcome vaccine hesitancy, Preckwinkle noted just six cases of the blood clots have been identified after people receive Johnson & Johnson.
“They’re looking into six people out of almost seven million people vaccinated,” Preckwinkle said. “Six people. That means one chance in a million that you’ll have a negative response. I like those odds.”
She acknowledged “it’s possible” the Johnson & Johnson situation will add to the anxiety some people are experiencing about getting the shots.
“But I’m hopeful that the CDC will decide that we can continue using the vaccine, given the extraordinarily small pool of people who have possibly had a negative reaction to the vaccine,” Preckwinkle said.
Preckwinkle was joined by officials from the Cook County Health Department Tuesday to open a new community vaccination site in Matteson. Officials said they had received no reports of anyone locally suffering blood clots after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Read more here. —John Byrne
4 p.m.: Member of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s staff tests positive for COVID-19
A member of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s staff tested positive for the coronavirus Monday, one day before lawmakers returned to Springfield for the final stretch of the spring legislative session.
The staff member, who was not identified, tested positive as part of the required screening for returning to work in the Capitol, Welch spokeswoman Jaclyn Driscoll said in a statement.
Welch was not in contact with the staff member, Driscoll said.
“Contact tracing was performed, and those who were in contact with the staff member are now quarantining, pending negative tests,” she said.
The House and Senate have been in session only sporadically since the pandemic took hold last spring but returned on Tuesday with just under seven weeks to go until their scheduled May 31 adjournment.
The legislature is using the saliva test developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to regularly test lawmakers, staff and others at the Capitol.
In January, just after Welch was elected speaker at the start of the new session, his chief of staff, Jessica Basham, tested positive. Welch had been diagnosed with COVID-19 last year.
A staff member in Pritzker’s office also tested positive for COVID-19 Monday. The governor had not been in contact with the staffer and was not required to quarantine.
—Dan Petrella
3:30 p.m.: COVID-19 vaccination 7-day average at another new high in Illinois, but hospitalizations highest since mid-February
An additional 100,729 coronavirus vaccine doses were administered in Illinois Monday, while the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 for the first time since mid-February, public health officials reported.
The statewide total of doses administered reached 7,344,112 Tuesday. Over the last seven days, a record daily average of 132,979 vaccinations were administered.
The number of residents who have been fully vaccinated — receiving both of the required shots, or Johnson & Johnson’s single shot — reached 2,952,843, or 23.18% of the total population.
As of Tuesday, 45.81% of residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
As of Monday night, 2,028 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 466 patients in intensive care units and 185 patients on ventilators. That’s the first time the total number of hospitalizations has been over 2,000 since Feb. 9, when the count was 2,082. It’s also far higher than a month ago, when 1,082 hospitalizations were reported on March 12.
The seven-day average of total hospitalizations is 1,858, the highest since an average of 1,876 was recorded Feb. 15.
Read more here. —Jenny Whidden
2:10 p.m.: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations at Aurora, Elgin sites postponed
After the Illinois Department of Public Health paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the Kane County Health Department canceled its Tuesday appointments for the vaccine at the state-supported sites in Elgin and Aurora.
Tuesday’s vaccination appointments at the two sites have been rescheduled for next Tuesday, April 20, with a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to be administered.
The state-supported Kane Vax Hub site in Batavia remained open Tuesday since it was administering the Pfizer vaccine.
Read more here. —Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News
1:50 p.m.: Chicago employers could face fines for not letting workers take time off to get vaccinated
Chicago businesses would face fines up to $5,000 for not allowing workers to take time off to get COVID-19 vaccines under a proposal by Mayor Lori Lightfoot that moved closer to passage on Tuesday.
Lightfoot’s ordinance would prohibit employers from firing or disciplining employees who leave work to get the vaccine.
In addition to the fine of $1,000 to $5,000 for each instance, workers who got fired for leaving work to get vaccinated would be entitled to their jobs back, plus damages up to three times the wages they would have earned had they not been fired.
Workers who have paid sick leave would be allowed to use it to get paid for the time they take to get shots.
Employers that mandate their workers get vaccinated would be required to allow them to do so during work hours and pay wages up to four hours each time an employee has to leave work to get a vaccine shot under the ordinance that cleared the Committee on Workforce Development Tuesday.
“This ordinance will ensure that no worker has to choose between keeping their job and getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Rosa Escareno, commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
In spring 2020 the City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting businesses from retaliating against employees who stayed home from work because they had COVID-19 symptoms, had been exposed to someone who had tested positive for the virus, or whose job was deemed nonessential by the state during coronavirus lockdowns.
The full City Council will consider Lightfoot’s proposal next week.
Read more here. —John Byrne
1:10 p.m.: Without a high school vaccine plan, Chicago Teachers Union plans remote work action Wednesday
Vaccine hunting for students and families was the next logical step in the mutual aid efforts of Mueze Bawany and his colleagues at Roberto Clemente Community Academy in Humboldt Park. They’ve already distributed $50,000 in cash assistance and helped families facing eviction, Bawany said.
Although they’re happy to help, Chicago Teachers Union members like Bawany want Chicago Public Schools to have a broader vaccination plan before welcoming high school students back in person for the first time since last March. The union is preparing for a remote work action Wednesday if the parties don’t reach an agreement on reopening.
“We need to extend our moral imagination and say what about public health? How big of a deal would it be if we can get our students and our family members vaccinated and we can work as a district, as one, to kind of do something that is incredible … but also can at this moment keep our city protected and safe?” Bawany asked.
While some schools have been making their own efforts, a citywide initiative is needed to ensure equitable access throughout the district, Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said during an early morning news conference Tuesday.
CPS officials have said they’re working with the city health department on a plan to offer vaccines to students 16 and older but have not yet released details. They are now on a tight deadline. Though the CTU doesn’t expect everyone to have the shots before they return, members will refuse in-person work in high schools starting Wednesday if they aren’t close enough to an agreement.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
12:40 p.m.: Chicago had expected fewer than 5,000 J&J doses this week, Arwady says
Allison Arwady, Chicago’s health commissioner, said the city received 40,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson last week but expected fewer than 5,000 this week. The city had plans for Johnson & Johnson single-dose shots, but those are on hold, she said.
The city’s been using the vaccine at Chicago State University, O’Hare International Airport and the Chicago Federation of Labor. An event with the Illinois Restaurant Association scheduled for Tuesday is also on hold, Arwady said.
Arwady said the decision to put Johnson & Johnson on pause is a nod to the federal government’s high safety standards. She said she supports the pause but noted the blood clots were rare and occurred in a low number of people. None of the cases are in Illinois, she said. The city has seen nothing to draw concern about blood clots in its data, Arwady said.
The pause will encourage physicians to look out for this as a potential side effect, she said.
Arwady also discouraged vaccine hesitancy, especially as it relates to Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which she noted haven’t had the same issues.
She also said she expects vaccine rates to drop in the city and across the country over the pause. —Gregory Pratt
12:11 p.m.: Rogers Park woman who got the Johnson & Johnson shot says she’s not too worried. ‘It’s infinitesimal, the percentage of people who’ve been affected by it.’
Carolyn Minor, 41 of Rogers Park, got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Saturday. She, her husband and two friends drove about five hours, each way, to Quincy to get the shots.
Despite her recent vaccination, Minor wasn’t too concerned about the news of blood clots Tuesday.
“It’s infinitesimal, the percentage of people who’ve been affected by it,” Minor said.
Still, she said, she checked in with her two friends Tuesday morning who were also vaccinated Saturday. She said they’ll continue to check in with one another and will go to the emergency room if they experience any of the problematic symptoms described by the CDC.
“Just be aware, don’t spend too much time dwelling on this,” she said. —Lisa Schencker
12:09 p.m.: Jewel-Osco to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson vaccines
Jewel-Osco said Tuesday it will also pause giving the vaccines. People with scheduled appointments for the vaccines will be notified that their appointments are canceled and will be directed to a link to reschedule for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, Jewel-Osco said in a statement.
Appointments for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be added to the chain’s online scheduler as they become available. —Lisa Schencker
12:05 p.m.: 100,729 vaccine doses, 3,193 cases and 17 deaths reported
Illinois public health officials Tuesday reported 3,193 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 17 additional deaths. That brings the state’s totals to 1,285,398 cases and 21,540 deaths overall.
There were 58,248 tests reported in the previous 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate as a percent of total test is 4.3%.
There were 100,729 does of the coronavirus vaccine administered Monday and the seven-day rolling average of daily doses is 132,979.
11:36 a.m.: Yorkville resident who was scheduled for a Johnson & Johnson shot says she’ll search for other vaccines
Olivia Fonesca, 31 of Yorkville, was among those whose appointments for Johnson & Johnson vaccines were canceled.
She was supposed to get the shot at her local Jewel-Osco Tuesday. She had specifically sought out the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of a fear of needles.
She said she was a little concerned when she heard about the blood clotting issue, but said she still would have gotten it if she could have, given that six people with blood clotting seems like a small number out of all those in the U.S. who have received the vaccine.
But she also appreciates that the government is just trying to make sure it’s safe.
“I hope, one way or another, we find out soon so if they’re going to stop giving the vaccine or going to resume,” Fonesca said.
She said she’ll search for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the meantime. —Lisa Schencker
11:10 a.m.: Blood clots can be life-threatening, but are treatable, Northwestern doctor says
Blood clots can be life-threatening, though they are treatable, said Dr. Khalilah Gates, an assistant professor of medicine in pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
People experiencing symptoms such as severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson shot should contact their health care provider, according to the state health department.
“If you’re a month or more out (from the shot) then the likelihood of you having a reaction is low, and you don’t need to worry,” Gates said.
The blood clots reported to the CDC seem different than other blood clots, in that they were accompanied by low levels of blood platelets, Gates said. Blood platelets are fragments of cells necessary for normal blood clotting. Someone with a low level of blood platelets would have a decreased ability to stop bleeding, she said.
Often, blood clots are treated with blood-thinning medication, but that wouldn’t be good for someone who also has low levels of blood platelets, she said. In that case, a person would need a different type of treatment.
Gates said she’s concerned that the news about Johnson & Johnson might increase COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in general. She said people should continue to get the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
“The stakes are really, really high now,” Gates said. “You can’t lump all vaccines together.”
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work through different mechanisms than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and “have stood the test of time so far,” she said.
“We are up to 560,000 deaths from COVID-19, and we need to keep that in perspective,” she said. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not gone anywhere so we still have to figure out how to maneuver and protect from COVID while we sort out what is actually going on with this Johnson & Johnson vaccine.” —Lisa Schencker
10:54 a.m.: Walgreens suspends use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Walgreens, which has the largest pharmacy vaccination program in Illinois, said in a statement that it would suspend use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine “out of an abundance of caution.”
The pharmacy chain said it would reach out to patients with appointments and reschedule them for vaccinations from other manufacturers “as supply allows.”—Lisa Schencker
10:45 a.m.: McHenry County cancels vaccine clinic at Willow Creek Church in Crystal Lake amid pause on J&J vaccine
The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH), in a news release, has announced that Tuesday’s vaccination clinic at Willow Creek Community Church, 100 S. Main Street in Crystal Lake, is being canceled after the Illinois Department of Health issued a notice that it is requiring a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation released today.
According to the statement: “Future J&J clinics will be replaced with either Moderna or Pfizer until further guidance is received from the CDC and the IDPH.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation,” said Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson. “We know that there are many residents who wanted this vaccine in particular, and we will resume administering the J&J vaccine when and if it’s safe to do so.” —Chicago Tribune staff
10:42 a.m.: Indiana health officials halting use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Indiana health officials are halting the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine around the state after federal officials recommended a “pause” in its use to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.
The agency said Tuesday it was switching the mass vaccination clinic being held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the two-shot Moderna vaccine. The department said it was working with other clinics around the state that planned to give the Johnson & Johnson vaccine so they could provide alternative vaccines.
Read more here. —Associated Press
9:52: Illinois health officials advise providers to use Pfizer, Moderna vaccines instead of Johnson & Johnson
The Illinois Department of Public Health is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, following a recommendation from federal officials Tuesday.The vaccine has been linked to rare but serious blood clots in six women, federal officials said.
The state has notified all providers to discontinue use of the vaccine and is “strongly advising” them to use the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead, the Department of Public Health said Tuesday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker in recent weeks has hailed the arrival of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a key part of the state’s effort to vaccinate people as quickly as possible to stay ahead of the faster spreading variants of COVID-19 that are circulating in Illinois.
As the manufacturer has run into supply problems, however, Pritzker has downplayed its importance at the current stage of the vaccination effort. But just Monday, the state announced that it was deploying “rapid response” teams equipped with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to counties in north-central Illinois where the virus is surging and putting a strain on intensive care units.
Nonetheless, state health officials say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes up a small share of Illinois’ total allocation from the federal government. This week, for example, the state was allocated 17,000 doses of the J&J vaccine, and next week, Johnson & Johnson is expected to account for just 5,800 doses out of the state’s total allocation of 483,720 doses.
—Dan Petrella
9:47 a.m.: State of Illinois and Cook County Health pause distribution of Johnson & Johnson vaccine after blood clotting cases
The Illinois Department of Public Health and Cook County Health have paused distributing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following recommendations from the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after reports of six people experiencing blood clots about two weeks after vaccination.
The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot that people have experienced after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to a statement from both federal agencies.
The blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets in these cases, the federal agencies said. All six cases were women between the ages of 18 and 48, and they all started experiencing symptoms six to 13 days after vaccination.
Those who scheduled an appointment at a Cook County Health location for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will receive Moderna or Pfizer instead, according to a statement from the health department. Those who do not want the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine should call 833-308-1988 to cancel or reschedule their appointment.
Read more here. —Paige Fry, Madeline Buckley, Joe Mahr
7:30: Illinois VA sued by estate of Korean War vet who died in coronavirus outbreak at state home in LaSalle
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs is facing a $2 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the estate of one of 36 residents who died at the state-run veterans home in LaSalle during a fall coronavirus outbreak.
The lawsuit, the first tied to the deadly outbreak in LaSalle, was filed April 5 in the Illinois Court of Claims by the estate of Richard Cieski, a 90-year-old Korean War veteran who died Nov. 15 — 10 days after his family was notified that he tested positive for the coronavirus and two days after officials from the state Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs inspected the facility.
Officials identified a number of lapses during that visit, including wall-mounted dispensers filled with an alcohol-free hand sanitizer that has been found ineffective against the new coronavirus and staff members who were not following property sanitation and social distancing procedures. The inspection also documented improper use of personal protective equipment.
The lawsuit alleges that the appropriate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were well-known by the time the outbreak in LaSalle began at the start of November.
“Richard Cieski’s death could have been avoided had LaSalle taken appropriate precautions,” Michael Bonamarte, an attorney for his estate, said in a statement.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
7 a.m.: ArcLight Cinemas, including Chicago and Glenview, to close for good
ArcLight Cinemas – closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic — will not reopen, the company announced late Monday, a victim of a pandemic that brought moviegoing to a standstill. ArcLight operated two Chicago-area complexes, on N. Clybourn Avenue in Chicago and in the Glen Town Center in Glenview.
The news follows other movie theater closings in Chicago elsewhere, including Navy Pier’s IMAX and downtown Evanston’s 18-screen Century complex.
In Illinois, under Gov. J.B. Pritzker COVID capacity restrictions for indoor movie theaters, performance venues and museums with fixed-seating venues with capacities under 200, the limit increased to 50% capacity or 50 seats, whichever is fewer and for venues seating 200 or more, it allows for 25% fixed seating capacity.
Read more here. —Lindsey Bahr
6:25 a.m.: CDC, FDA recommend ‘pause’ for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of blood clots
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.
In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said it was investigating clots in six women in the days after vaccination, in combination with reduced platelet counts. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will pause the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow.
Chicago’s mass-vaccination site at the United Center had been scheduled to switch to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 20. Officials had not made an announcement about plans for the United Center site yet early Tuesday.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet Wednesday to discuss the cases and the FDA has also launched an investigation of the cases.
Read more here. — Associated Press
6 a.m.: Lightfoot to announce winners of a new Mayor’s Medal of Honor award
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Tuesday will announce winners of a new mayoral award — the Mayor’s Medal of Honor — for people and organizations “who have made extraordinary contributions to Chicago’s residents throughout 2020 and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the city said.
The award will be given annually. A ceremony honoring this year’s selections will be livestreamed by the city on April 20.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: ‘Black Ink Crew: Chicago’ star talks COVID-19 symptoms and plans for his Pilsen tattoo shop
“Black Ink Crew: Chicago” star Ryan Henry recalled losing his ability to smell and taste while he battled COVID-19 last year. He suspected he contracted the virus at a birthday party he attended around May 2020.
“I had it in the time where you couldn’t tell nobody. We had been practicing safely the entire time, and then I think I went to a birthday for one of my best friends that had passed, ran into somebody who was sick,” Henry said. “I think losing my smell and my taste was the worst. … That whole feeling was like something that you ain’t really understand.”
Henry’s comments were made in December at a Los Angeles studio used for a “Black Ink Crew: Chicago” reunion special that aired Monday on VH1. Since 2015, the series has followed Chicago tattoo artists as they work and play. Cast members were filming Season 6 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a “stay-at-home” order in March 2020.
Henry temporarily closed his 9Mag tattoo shop in Pilsen, where much of the show’s drama takes place. Star Charmaine Bey was preparing to give birth to her first child at the time. “It was the scariest thing any new mom could ever go through. I was so paranoid,” she said on a video call from her 2nd City Ink shop before introducing her daughter, Nola.
Read more here. —Tracy Swartz
6 a.m.: Second pandemic Ramadan for Chicagoland Muslims means finding purpose, indulging in nostalgia
Like most things derailed by the coronavirus’s many restrictions on regular life, Ramadan 2021 is no different. No large prayer crowds at the mosque, no visiting with friends and family, no iftar parties or potlucks and no anticipating that triple hug combo on Eid.
Yet as Muslims everywhere embark on a second pandemic Ramadan, many are hoping to make the most of another opportunity to focus on the real purpose of the Islamic holy month, which can get buried beneath the deep-fried food and weekly get-togethers.
Saba Khan, a periodontal surgeon and newly elected village trustee for Morton Grove, is looking forward to spending the month with her family without distractions. Instead of going to the mosque for taraweeh, which involves reading long portions of the Quran each night, she’s setting up space for a small prayer congregation in her basement.
“We usually see Ramadan as a time of celebration with prayers, but it’s a lot about, ‘What are we going to cook for iftar? Where’s the next party? What am I going to wear?”’ Khan said. “Now with the pandemic, it feels like OK, let’s get our act together and be grateful that we don’t have to be somewhere during it. Down the road, I really hope we all remember what the true essence of Ramadan is.”
Read more here. —Zareen Syed
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