Washington State Department of Health pauses use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Washington is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine statewide effective immediately, the state Department of Health (DOH) announced Tuesday. The decision comes following a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after reports of very rare, but potentially dangerous, blood clots that occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. The DOH said the use of the J&J vaccine will be put on hold until the state receives further recommendations from federal partners on how to move forward. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48; there was one death and all remained under investigation. Federal health officials said the clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets. More information: https://www.king5.com/article/news/he...