MT. VERNON, IL — The Jefferson County Health Department, Crossroads Community Hospital and the City of Mt. Vernon were planning to host a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic this Friday at the Rolland W. Lewis Community Building in Veterans Park. And while that might still be the case, it’s unlikely they’ll be using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine during the clinic.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) have paused the use of the J&J vaccine out of an abundance of caution after six U.S. cases of a rare, severe blood clot was reported in individuals who received the J&J dose. The CDC along with the FDA are reviewing data and the IDPH has notified all Illinois COVID-19 providers throughout the state to discontinue use of the J&J vaccine. However, the IDPH is encouraging use of other types of vaccines including Moderna, Pfizer, or BioNTech. The majority of doses on-hand in Illinois are Pfizer and Moderna. The allocation of vaccines this week included 17,000 doses of the J&J version.

If you’ve received the J&J vaccine and develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks of your vaccination date, contact your health care provider immediately. This Withers Broadcasting/Dana Communications station will continue to update the public as additional information becomes available.