News

Maine tells health care providers to pause J&J vaccine

Maine tells health care providers to pause J&J vaccine

Photo: clipart.com


OXFORD, Maine (AP) Maine officials told health care providers Tuesday to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following new guidance from federal officials.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited six reports of a rare but dangerous type of blood clot in recipients of the vaccine, but none of those have been reported in Maine.

“Given this recommendation, the state of Maine is advising that providers pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until the U.S. CDC’s scientific advisory committee has further reviewed the safety data,” according to a statement issued by Gov. Janet Mills, Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We understand that this pause will impact Maine people who were scheduled to receive the J&J/Janssen vaccine,” Shah tweeted.

Also, the J&J vaccine was being used in the state’s mobile vaccination unit that has been scheduled to travel to rural areas across the state. This week the mobile unit, which launched Monday, is in the parking lot of the Oxford Casino in western Maine. The mobile unit is on hold Tuesday, said Robert Long, a spokesman for Maine CDC.

All told, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.

Latest Headlines

2 hours ago in Local

Head-on crash on Route 1 in Saco leaves motorcyclist dead

Fresh

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Route 1 in Saco Friday morning.

2 hours ago in Local

Police renew search for Hancock County man reported missing in 2017

Fresh

A search is planned in Hancock County in connection with a missing person case from 2017.

11 hours ago in Local

Turner Man Arrested in Connection with Lewiston Shooting

Updated

According to Lewiston police, they responded to reports of a shooting Thursday afternoon at 235 Bartlett Street. No injuries were reported. 

21 hours ago in Local

Collins Breaks with Republicans to Vote to Shut Down Iran War

She joined GOP Kentucky Senator Rand Paul to back the measure

22 hours ago in Local

No Injuries, Schools Secure After Shots Fired in Lewiston

The Lewiston School Superintendent said that police had informed them of the shooting.