COVID19 2021-04-28 Walk-In Appointments For COVID-19 Vaccine Available Thurs 1-3pm

The Tompkins County Health Department is opening the Thursday, April 29 COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Mall site to walk-in appointments between 1:00 and 3:00pm. For individuals seeking a walk-in appointment, no prior registration is required. This clinic will be for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Please bring the following with you to the Shops at Ithaca Mall Vaccination Site:

• Photo ID
• Insurance card if you have one. Insurance is being billed, but there is no co-pay and no charge if you do not have medical insurance.

The walk-in appointments are in addition to the appointments available for pre-registration. Register for an appointment time here: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/covid19popup#mall

A temporary federal and state pause of use of the J&J vaccine following extremely rare reports of adverse events was recently lifted, and previously allocated doses have been approved for use. 

Following a review of all available data about the J&J vaccine, the CDC and FDA approved use stating that the vaccine’s benefits far outweigh its risks. Women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event for that age group; there are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen. The safety of all COVID-19 vaccines are monitored by local, State, and federal officials and agencies. 

For three weeks after receiving the J&J vaccine, you should be on the lookout for possible symptoms of a blood clot with low platelets. Seek medical care right away if you develop one or more of these symptoms:

• Severe or persistent headaches or blurred vision
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Leg swelling
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Easy bruising or tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the injection site

Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa stated, “We are continuing to make vaccines more accessible and convenient for our community. As we approach 60% of our community being vaccinated, we will do everything that we can to make sure that everyone has access. I anticipate that this is the first of many walk-in clinics, vaccines are for everyone and we want to make sure that everyone who is able can get their shot as soon as possible.”

Kruppa continued, “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective, we want people - especially women between the ages of 18-50 – to monitor for any symptoms of blood clots, but we know that adverse events have been extremely rare across the entire country, millions of Americans have received this vaccine safely.”

If you need health insurance, call 211 and ask to speak with a Health Insurance Navigator. If you need a primary care doctor, please contact the Cayuga Health Physician Finder at 607-274-4615.

For local updates and information, check the TCHD website.