Here’s how many Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses have been administered in Washington state

The Washington State Department of Health announced this morning it will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccine statewide starting immediately, following the guidance of the FDA/CDC, after the emergence of a rare blood clotting disorder in six recipients..

About 149,000 doses of J & J vaccine have been administered in Washington so far, out of more than 4 million doses total. Nearly 7 million people in the United States have received Johnson & Johnson shots so far, and about 9 million more doses have been shipped out to the states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Use of that vaccine will be put on hold until the federal government provides further guidance, a DOH news release said.

“This action is being taken out of an abundance of caution based on the appearance of a rare but serious side effect including serious brain blood clots (CVST) combined with low platelet counts in six patients, all women under 50,” the release says. “The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will review these cases in the days ahead and will recommend guidance going forward.”

“At this time, we have no knowledge of the six patients who experienced these blood clots being Washington residents,” the DOH news release says.

DOH said those who received the J & J vaccine more than a month ago face very low risk of the complication. People who have received the J & J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

“It also demonstrates how well the robust vaccine safety monitoring systems work, since this potential safety concern was identified quickly and vaccines were paused to allow for further investigation,” the DOH release says.

This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Here’s how many Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses have been administered in Washington state."