Oklahoma health officials say the pause on Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines won’t hamper supply statewide.
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that six people who received the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine developed rare but serious blood clotting side effects. That represents about one in every million doses. They recommended a pause on administering that specific vaccine, and health officials across Oklahoma said they would do so.
During a media briefing Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Commissioner of Health Keith Reed said that Johnson & Johnson doses have accounted for less than 3 percent of those Oklahoma has administered total.
"We will have over 500,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine after next week’s allocation comes in — more than enough for any Oklahoma that needs the COVID-19 vaccine."
Public and private vaccine sites have said they are simply offering Moderna and Pfizer vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson medication, while federal regulators investigate its safety.
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