J&J vaccine questions, answered | Morning Newsletter
And, one man’s nightly rush to home-deliver vaccines.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
First: We have answers to common questions about the pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Then: We’re bringing you a special project on a Philadelphia family nurse-practitioner’s nightly race to deliver to homebound residents COVID-19 vaccines that would otherwise expire.
And: Several hundred people marched last night in Center City to demand justice for Daunte Wright, a Black man who was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop in Minnesota on Sunday.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Scrambled plans, delays, and new fears accompany J&J COVID-19 vaccination pause across Philly region
Governments, pharmacies, and health-care providers swiftly changed their vaccination plans across the region yesterday, per the FDA and CDC recommendation to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, pending a federal review.
Health officials want people to know this pause is temporary. At the same time, they’re invested in strengthening public confidence in the safety of the vaccines for people who were already hesitant before this news. Out of more than six million Johnson & Johnson doses administered, six people experienced rare blood clots that led to this temporary distribution halt, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said, noting that the blood clots have not been associated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines after 190 million doses have been given.
Reporters Jason Laughlin, Erin McCarthy, Jesenia De Moya Correa, and Justine McDaniel have the story on the pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
All six cases of rare blood clots that prompted the pause occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. Here’s what you need to know if you had the J&J vaccine.
This is how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine might, in very rare cases, cause blood clots.
This is what to do if you were scheduled to get a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
It’s about time you meet the Philadelphia family nurse-practitioner who has been spending the evenings racing against the clock to get leftover vaccines to people in need.
Unused shots can mean the difference between health and hospitalization for vaccine seekers, and when Tarik Khan gets a hold of extras after people don’t show up to their appointments, he has to make quick work of this unusual lottery.
Very quick work. One wrong turn, and he might not quite make it. Too late, and the precious two-dose vaccines become useless. Another missed chance to reach the city’s vulnerable. Leftover doses in Philly can go to anyone nearby. But for residents who are homebound and could be left behind as the city moves forward, “anyone nearby” won’t cut it.
Undeterred by this challenge, Khan has home-delivered leftover shots to more than 100 people. Though he recognizes his push is not sustainable, for the people he has reached with vital doses, it’s life-altering. By that measure, Khan’s efforts have been strikingly effective.
Read on for Ellie Silverman’s special project on one nurse-practitioner’s outreach race against the clock.
Am I eligible to get vaccinated? Know the requirements for Philly, Pa., and New Jersey.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
Here’s how to prepare for a vaccine appointment.
What can I do once I’m fully vaccinated? Here’s a full breakdown.
Can I go on vacation yet? This is how to know what’s safe.
What you need to know today
Several hundred people marched last night in Center City to oppose the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old shot and killed by police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minn. on Sunday. There were no reports of arrests in Philly late Tuesday, when a small group continued marching into South Philadelphia shortly before 10 p.m.
“I think we should stop saying frustrating for all Black Americans,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said about Sunday’s fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, a Black man, by police in Brooklyn Center, Minn. “I think it should be frustrated [thoughts] by all Americans.”
Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate last year was far worse than in many other big cities, according to a new report.
And, because of tax breaks, Philadelphia schools lost $112 million in a single year, the most of any school system in the country, another analysis found.
The future of St. Christopher’s hangs in the balance again as Tower Health looks to sell hospitals.
An array of anglers is banding together in opposition to New Jersey’s upcoming offshore wind farms, fearing they will disrupt fish, sports fishing, and navigation.
A record-breaking 20-ton cocaine haul led to a federal prison sentence for a Montenegrin ship’s crewman.
Philadelphia wants to know how you feel about trees — or the lack of them — as part of the plan to grow an “urban forest.”
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Thanks for sharing our kind of spring shower.
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!
That’s interesting
🚇 The new Fifth Street subway murals called “Portal to Discovery” feature portraits of notable Black, indigenous, and female figures from Philly history, alongside former American presidents.
🥡 Do vegan-friendly tofu skins with mushrooms, steamed vegetable buns, garlicky stir-fried bok choy interest you? Reporter Grace Dickinson has a guide on where to get vegan Chinese food around Philly.
🏀 Ben Simmons has some good points about the big 76ers game against the Nets tonight.
Opinions
A single father who lost his second-oldest son to gun violence is moving his other sons out of West Philly, and columnist Jenice Armstrong writes that she doesn’t blame him.
In the wake of Daunte Wright’s shooting and killing by police during a traffic stop, columnist Will Bunch writes that we should be asking, Why have these traffic stops at all?
Beethoven in Beijing — a documentary about the Philadelphia Orchestra’s unique relationship with China -- is an important test of cultural relationships helping in times of political strife, columnist Trudy Rubin writes.
What we’re reading
These are Philly-area CSAs where you can score fresh farm produce, Philadelphia magazine notes.
New York magazine sat down with the famous couples therapist Esther Perel to talk about the contradictory desire for both space and security.
How do businesses create the magic of hospitality in a room now? That’s the timely question a New York Times critic is asking.
Ebony magazine marks Autism Awareness Month with a column on the need for solidarity when it comes to marginalized groups in the pandemic.
Eddie Hill’s nickname is “Darling,” and the story of how he lived up to that nickname spans a lifetime. He’s celebrating his 100th birthday, which he credits to “the good Lord and a good wife.” His story — one of a farmer, World War II veteran, engineer, husband, and father — takes us from Europe to New Jersey.