J&J Vaccine Pause: How Ohio Is Responding

COLUMBUS, OH — As Ohio and the nation pauses administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Mike DeWine and health officials outlined Tuesday what the temporary halting means for the Buckeye State.

Administration of the J&J vaccine was paused so health officials could investigate extremely rare instance of blood clots developing following receipt of the vaccine. There have only been six known cases of blood clots forming, but more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed throughout the U.S., said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the state health department.

Those six cases have occurred in women, between the ages of 18 and 48. The clots take place between six and 13 days after taking the vaccine, Vanderhoff noted.

The investigation into the vaccine and the rare blood clot cases should be finished in days or weeks, DeWine said Tuesday. Medical officials from Wexner Medical Center and the Ohio Department of Health insisted the vaccination process is safe.

"I'd recommend this vaccine to family and friends. We're talking about six cases among 6.8 million people who were vaccinated. This is very rare," Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. He received the J&J vaccine in early 2021.

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What Ohioans Need To Know

• "I'm absolutely confident in the safety of vaccines," Vanderhoff said. Ohioans should continue getting vaccinated during this time, he said.
• 264,211 J&J vaccines have been administered in Ohio.
• Ohio was scheduled to receive 20,300 doses of the vaccine this week, according to the CDC.
• Vaccine providers are transitioning to distributing Moderna and Pfizer vaccines instead of J&J.
• Vaccine providers with J&J vaccines should place them in storage until further guidance is received.
• Most of Ohio's J&J vaccines were sent to colleges, universities and mass vaccination sites.
• DeWine has not decided if Ohio will extend mass vaccination clinics due to the J&J vaccine pause.
• Universities that have not finished vaccinating students will begin offering either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
• The following vaccine providers are pausing distribution: Ohio University mobile clinic, Mahoning County Public Health at Dillard's, Cincinnati Centaus Center and Wilminton Airpark, Bowling Green State University, Miami University, Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University.

The following distributors are transitioning to the Pfizer vaccine: Dayton Convention Center, Zanesville Genesis Healthcare System, Akron Public Health at Summit County Fairgrounds, Celeste Center, Ohio Expo Center, State Fairgrounds, University of Cincinnati, Ohio University, Wright State University and Toledo University.

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

The following distributors are transitioning to the Moderna vaccine: Lima/Allen County health department, Lucas County Recreation Center, Memorial Health System, ONU Mobile Clinic, Adena PACCAR in Chillicothe, Jefferson County Health Department, Richland County Fairgrounds, Fosteria/Seneca County Mobile Clinic.