Philadelphia FEMA sites continue vaccinations amid pause of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The FEMA-run at Esperanza Community Center in Hunting Park is offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to any Philadelphia resident 16-years-old and older.

The site, like so many others, paused the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday at the direction of the CDC and FDA.

"I want to be able to do things again without worrying about getting other people sick," said Paige Harvey of East Falls.

The call for a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine came as six women, out of nearly 7 million U.S. recipients, suffered severe blot clots after getting the shot.

A 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman was one of the six affected. She was hospitalized in New Jersey.

Now, the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicts we could see the one-shot option returning to clinics and doctors' offices for use as early as Friday.

"I believe we'll get back with it and there might be some restrictions. Not sure what that will be, whether they will be age or sex, or whether they'll just come back with a warning of some sort," Fauci said on ABC's "This Week"

In Hunting Park, patients are mixed on the idea of the CDC once again green lighting the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"I think they are taking all precautions necessary to put it back, I really do believe that," said Vandelyn Leach of Olney.

"It does concern me a little bit. I hope that they do more research for the next couple of months just to make sure whatever happened with the six women and getting blood clots doesn't happen with anybody else again," said Valerie Jean-Baptiste of Northeast Philadelphia.

A CDC advisory panel is set to meet again on Friday to discuss what they've learned about the vaccine.