Reservoir Church Vaccine Site on Pause While Awaiting Further FDA/CDC Information

April 14, 2021

This week hundreds of Cambridge residents were vaccinated against COVID-19 right inside our church sanctuary. Thanks to a partnership between the Cambridge Fire Department, the Cambridge Health Alliance, City of Cambridge leadership, the Benjamin Banneker School, and our church, we were able to make this happen on very short notice.

This site was mobilized to reach residents in North Cambridge in particular, especially working class residents with less ability and means to travel elsewhere. Big thanks to Executive Pastor Trecia Reavis and Board member and physician Dr. Peter Choo for their time and expertise in supporting this initiative for the health of our city as well!  

This past Monday morning, after successful rollouts over the weekend, we received notice from FDA/CDC of an immediate freeze on administration of the J&J vaccine.  See below or click on the PDF below for more information.  Please join us in prayer for all the health workers who’ve worked so hard putting this distribution opportunity together and for our North Cambridge residents to be served well and quickly through other means, while we await further updates.

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Reservoir Church Vaccine Clinic on Pause Until Further Notice
April 13, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Federal health agencies are recommending an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following reports of six people who developed a very rare type of blood clot within two weeks of receiving the vaccine.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has notified all Massachusetts providers and local boards of health to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, effective immediately.

Cambridge Vaccine Clinic at Reservoir Church at 170 Rindge Avenue on Pause
Following the state and federal recommendation, the City is pausing operation of the vaccine clinic scheduled for this week (April 12-18) at Reservoir Church in North Cambridge, where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was to be administered.

We will keep Cambridge residents apprised of any new developments as more information becomes available from state and Federal health officials.

For those individuals who have already received the one dose J & J vaccine: These have been very rare events. 7 million people have already safely received the J & J vaccine. You can expect the usual sore arm and achiness that follows a vaccine; please call your health care provider for any serious symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain.

Moderna and Pfizer/BIONTech Vaccines Remain Safe for Administration. This announcement by the CDC and the FDA, along with the Commonwealth, does not impact administration of the Moderna or Pfizer/BIONTech vaccine. Anyone who is scheduled to receive either of these vaccines should move forward as planned. Mass vaccination sites do not administer the one dose J & J vaccine.

For more information on this announcement, please visit the CDC’s website:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0413-JJ-vaccine.html.
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