Vermont pauses Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Fletcher Schoolhouse Road in South Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont officials have paused administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine “out of an abundance of caution,” on a recommendation from the federal government. 

Johnson & Johnson vaccinations in Vermont are halted for the rest of the week, though state health officials are expecting the pause to be brief.

Federal health officials are looking into rare blood clots found in six cases of those who have taken that particular vaccine. That symptom has not been reported in Vermont. Gov. Phil Scott and administration officials found out about the situation in a call with White House and federal health officials on Tuesday. 

“I just wanted to note that this recommendation from CDC and FDA was made out of an abundance of caution due to extremely rare blood clots found in six cases out of the 6.8 million people who’ve been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson,” Scott said in a Tuesday press conference. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the most part has been shown to be safe and effective, and I myself was pleased to get it last week.” 

Scott added that the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to be “days, not weeks.” The FDA and CDC will be further convening on Wednesday to make recommendations.

As a result, 2,000 Vermonters saw their vaccine appointments canceled today, and 2,000 more will be canceled through the end of the week, according to Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. There are 1,800 more appointments for Johnson & Johnson doses scheduled beyond this week, and the state will decide what to do about those after receiving further federal guidance. 

Smith said those Vermonters who were scheduled to receive that vaccine this week, will be offered the options of scheduling it out to a later date or making an appointment for one of the two-dose vaccines, Moderna or Pfizer.

It’s too early to assess the situation’s impact on the state’s vaccination strategy, Smith said, adding they’re waiting for more information from the federal government. 

“We will modify our strategy and timeline if it is necessary,” he said. The state is adding more vaccination clinics as needed. 

The pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine allows more time for health experts to study those six previously mentioned cases, according to Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine. He said Vermonters will be updated when the state knows more.

“I want to emphasize that we, the CDC and the FDA are all committed to vaccine safety and transparency every step of the way, and that is why these actions have been taken and acted on so rapidly,” Levine said. 

To date, nearly 50% of all Vermonters over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This week, a slight increase in Pfizer and Moderna doses is expected for the state’s vaccination program and the federal pharmacy program.

— Gareth Henderson