Michigan Pauses Use Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

MICHIGAN — Michigan is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday following a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of blood-clot concerns.

“The safety and health of Michiganders will always come first. We will follow the FDA’s guidance to temporarily pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution, and adapt our vaccine strategy going forward until a further review of the data can be conducted," said Bobby Leddy, a spokesperson with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office, told Patch Tuesday in an email. "With this latest development, it’s more important than ever for the federal government to implement a targeted strategy that allocates additional Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to hotspots like Michigan to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Governor Whitmer will continue fighting for the vaccines we need to protect Michiganders, so we can get back to normal as soon as possible.”

More than 6.8 million doses of New Brunswick-based company's vaccine have been administered in the U.S. as of Monday, according to the FDA. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine.

All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination, according to officials.

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According to state data, 328,700 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been distributed across Michigan as of Monday. A little more than 199,000 of those doses had been administered, according to state data.

The state was expecting 17,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be distributed this week, according to the CDC.

A spokesperson with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond for comment.

Across Michigan, vaccine providers and clinics are scrambling to make adjustments following Tuesday morning's news. In Macomb County, clinics using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Tuesday are switching to first dose shots of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, county executive Mark Hackel said in a statement.

A COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Oakland University will continue as scheduled, but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be switched out at that clinic, as well, officials said.

The Detroit Health Department — which was planning community vaccination events on Tuesday and throughout the week using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — is halting its use of the vaccine. Detroit Chief Health Officer Denise Fair said in a statement that the city has enough Pfizer and Moderna doses to take the place of the Johnson & Johnson doses.

"If you were scheduled for a J&J shot and want to keep your same appointment, you will be given the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine," she said. "You will receive an appointment for your second dose 3-4 weeks later. Appointments at the TCF center and Saturday community centers are unaffected by this announcement. They have always been Pfizer/Moderna."

A COVID-19 vaccination site in Dearborn at the Consolidated Vaccination Center at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center will only be offering Moderna vaccines for the time being.

"For now, the vaccination center will not be offering Johnson and Johnson," officials said in a post.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was required just one shot as opposed to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which required a second shot two weeks following a first shot. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were reportedly more effective than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well, posting 95 and 94.1 person successes, respectively, as opposed to Johnson & Johnson's 72 percent effectiveness.

At least two pharmacies announced that they will pause the distribution of the vaccine.

Wegmans issued a statement saying: "Following the recommendations of the CDC & FDA, Wegmans has canceled all Johnson & Johnson vaccine appointments. We will pause use of the J&J vaccine while the CDC & FDA further investigate the issue."

CVS said it is "immediately implementing a pause in the use of the Johnson and Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine per the recommendation from federal health agencies."

Read More: Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause: 6 Things To Know

White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients said in a statement that the Johnson & Johnson pause “will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan. ”The White House is working with state partners to “to get anyone scheduled for a J&J vaccine quickly rescheduled for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine."

"Based on actions taken by the President earlier this year, the United States has secured enough Pfizer and Moderna doses for 300 million Americans," the statement said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.