More than a dozen states took steps Tuesday to halt vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson‘s coronavirus vaccine, shortly after the Food and Drug Administration recommended to pause its use after reports some women developed a rare blood-clotting disorder.
The states, like the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stressed that they were acting out of an abundance of caution, as more than 6.8 million doses of J&J’s vaccine have been injected and only six of the blood-clotting cases have so far been reported.
New York Heath Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said the state will “immediately” stop administering the single-dose J&J vaccine, and will use Pfizer‘s two-shot vaccine in its place for already-scheduled appointments.
At least 20 other states, and Washington, D.C., also announced that they are taking J&J’s vaccine doses out of their distribution plans.
New Jersey’s Department of Health said that all vaccination sites in the state “have been told to cancel or put on hold appointments for the J&J vaccine until further notice.” The agency said it will work with those sites to replace J&J appointments with an alternative two-dose vaccine.
Virginia “will cease all Johnson & Johnson vaccines” while the FDA investigates the “extremely rare possible side effect,” according to a statement from the state’s vaccination coordinator, Dr. Danny Avula.
Connecticut’s Department of Public Health recommended all Covid vaccine providers stop using J&J’s vaccine “for the time being” while the FDA and the CDC complete their review.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and top health officials in his state issued a similar advisory.
Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health notified all vaccine providers in the state to stop administering the J&J vaccine, “effective immediately.”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
