LEXINGTON, Ky. — After the federal government called for a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the University of Kentucky (UK) will no longer use the vaccine at one of its vaccination sites.
In a release Tuesday, the university said it would temporarily pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Gatton Student Center. Those with scheduled appointments at that location will instead receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
Officials with UK said their other vaccination sites in Kentucky, including Kroger Field, University Health Service and retail pharmacies, were already using either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The CDC and FDA issued new guidance about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine early Tuesday morning. According to a joint statement, the organizations said they were investigating at least six cases of people developing blot clots within two weeks of receiving the vaccine.
So far, around 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered.
"Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare," the FDA said in its statement. "This is important to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot."
On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear issued a vaccination "challenge" to the state. When the state reaches a total of 2.5 million first doses administered, Beshear said he would loosen restrictions on businesses, venues and restaurants.
So far, more than 1.5 million Kentuckians have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
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