Around 400 appointments were scheduled for today at a drive-thru clinic in Ocean County, and the Health Department is allowing people to keep their vaccine scheduled timeslot if they want a different shot in light of the Johnson & Johnson pause. 

The decision affects some of the most vulnerable people in the county -- mostly seniors and those with mobility issues. The convenience of a drive-thru clinic was supposed to come with the convenience of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

But because the FDA recommended pulling it off the market temporarily, the Ocean County Health Department looked for alternatives. 

The county is now offering people who had an appointment to receive the vaccine to switch to Moderna and keep their time slot. Anyone scheduled to receive the vaccine at the High School North and Southern Regional Middle School can also choose to switch to Moderna.  

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Public Health Coordinator Dan Regenye says they opted for Johnson & Johnson brand because of the one shot and temperature storage convenience. Now that the state has paused its usage, the county offered the Moderna option because of the difficulty to reschedule this vulnerable population. 

Homebound Ocean County residents were also receiving the shot and can choose to switch to a Moderna shot if they want. Appointments for homebound and seniors with mobility issues can still be made by calling or emailing the Ocean County Health Department.  

No reports of severe side effects were reported by the Ocean County Health Department out of more than 90,000 vaccinations from both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.