The United States Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have placed a temporary pause on the administration of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
The pause comes as there have been six reported instances of a rare type of blood clot forming within two weeks of receiving the vaccine. This particular type of blood clot cannot be treated in the same manner as others, and has resulted in the death of one of the six people that are known to be affected.
There have been approximately 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine administered in the United States.
In a press conference Tuesday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the pause is expected to just be a few days, or maybe a week at most, as health officials aim to determine how many cases of these blood clots actually exist and study how to best treat the clots when they are reported.
Beshear said to his knowledge, none of these reported instances have occurred within Kentucky. He estimated that less than 5 percent of the vaccinated population in Kentucky have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky Department of Public Health Commissioner, said there have been no reports of these blood clots in people who have taken the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
The Lake Cumberland District Health Department has been offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The health department said in a statement Tuesday that they are pausing all administrations of the J&J vaccine, and those who have scheduled appointments this week would be offered the Moderna vaccine instead.
