Oakland County To Use Pfizer Vaccine Over Johnson & Johnson

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — The Oakland County Health Division is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following the recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of blood-clot concerns.

County health officials said people scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine Tuesday at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Oakland University will instead receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials said they are reviewing and evaluating future J&J appointments to determine if other vaccines can be used in place of the J&J vaccine.

The U.S. recommended a pause in using the J&J vaccine on Tuesday. The CDC and FDA said they were investigating unusual clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets, according to The Associated Press. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48; there was one death and all remained under investigation, officials said.

Don't miss important updates from health and government officials on the impact of the coronavirus in Michigan. Sign up for Patch's daily newsletters and email alerts.

More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the U.S.

Michigan is among states following federal recommendations. 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.