OLOL Suspends Use of J&J Vaccine

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday, following the recommendation of the Centers of Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration.

"Upon the CDC recommendations and in consultation with the Louisiana and Mississippi Departments of Health, we have immediately halted use of the J&J vaccine,” Dr. Stephen Gremillion, chief medical officer of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, said in a statement. “FMOLHS will continue to use the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for all vaccine activities. Safety continues to be the top priority as we expand vaccine distribution to as many as possible in the fight against COVID-19."

The CDC and the FDA, in a joint statement issued Tuesday, reported they are investigating the single-shot vaccines amid reports that patients have developed potentially dangerous blood clots, severe headaches and other health issues. Specifically, the agencies said they are looking into the reports of six women who developed potentially serious blood clots in six to 13 days after receiving the vaccine.

The FDA and CDC, which recommended that use of the J&J vaccine be paused nationwide, said 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered.

Louisiana Department of Health officials, citing an “abundance of caution,” said Louisiana will not be administering the J&J vaccine until further notice.

LDH also  recommended health providers store the J&J vaccine in a refrigerator.

Gov. John Bel Edwards noted more than 85,000 doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in Louisiana, accounting for less than 4% percent of the total number of shots given. He said there have been no reported cases of blood clots.

OLOL officials did say they will continue to administer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and have adequate supplies available to service the public.