Michigan temporarily pauses use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

LANSING, Mich. (WTVG) - The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services is joining the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control in recommending a pause on the administration of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses in the state.

According to a press release, providers in Michigan have been instructed not to administer the vaccine while the CDC and FDA do further investigation into the data. Clinics scheduled to administer these vaccines are expected to either reschedule those clinics or use a different vaccine -- either Pfizer or Moderna.

“As we learn more about this from our federal partners, we will update vaccine providers and Michiganders across the state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We encourage everyone to continue making appointments to be vaccinated with the safe and effective Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at this time. These vaccines are the way we are going to end this pandemic as quickly as possible and move toward a sense of normalcy.”

The recommendations come with the reporting of six possible cases of a rare and severe blood clot in individuals who received the vaccine. For comparison, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered nationwide and US health officials say the move to pause the vaccine doses is being taken out of an abundance of caution. All six cases have been identified in women between the ages of 18-48 and symptoms occurred between 6-13 days after vaccination.