Stanford Health Care has paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made in response to six serious cases of clotting problems reported among women who received the vaccine. The clotting problem appears to be extraordinarily rare, however Stanford Health Care will hold all use of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine until an investigation has been conducted and more information is available. 

Based on preliminary data, the risk of blood clotting is very low, with only six cases reported to date out of more than 6 million doses having being given in the U.S. A thorough investigation is currently underway. All six cases of blood clotting issues nationally occurred in younger women within two weeks of vaccination. If you are concerned about your risk, please discuss with your primary care physician.

As of April 13, the CDC released the following guidance:

1. If you have received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, contact your healthcare provider, or seek medical care. 
   
2. Report adverse events following receipt of any COVID-19 vaccine to VAERS. 
   
3. If you are scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, please contact your healthcare provider, vaccination location, or clinic to learn about additional vaccine availability.
   

We are now able to schedule vaccination appointments through MyHealth for all individuals age 18 and older, with appointment availability depending entirely on vaccine supply. 

Individuals who are aged 16-17 can schedule their vaccination with Stanford Children’s Health.

Many Stanford Health Care patients may have access to vaccine through county resources beyond those offered by Stanford Health Care. We encourage you to get vaccinated where convenient and in the most safe and timely manner possible. We will continue to update you as more vaccines are received and made available for distribution, and will continue to partner with our local county health authorities to reach individuals who do not have access to primary care providers.

You can also check myturn.ca.gov to see if there are other vaccination sites with available appointments.

The actual vaccination purchased and distributed by government agencies is free of charge. However, there is a cost to administer the vaccination. This cost will be billed and paid by your insurance or government program. There’s no out-of-pocket cost to you to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Medicare and Medi-Cal have provided guidance that the vaccine administration should be billed directly to the government program instead of the HMO to simplify the administration and tracking. We require the correct member ID number to properly bill/report to the government program. There’s no out-of-pocket cost to you to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

We are expecting a temporary reduction in our COVID-19 vaccine supply. The shortage is a result of Santa Clara and Alameda counties receiving a fraction of their anticipated vaccine shipment—something that we recognized was a possibility as the state transitions vaccine administration from the counties to Blue Shield of California.

We are reaching out to all those affected to help them reschedule their appointments for the soonest available spot. 

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Once you're fully vaccinated, it's important that you continue to take precautions and follow public health guidance. Visit the CDC for guidance for fully vaccinated people.