COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine made a plea to providers Monday asking them to “quickly distribute” nearly 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine set to expire June 23. The governor is also asking unvaccinated Ohioans to begin the process as soon as possible.
“For Ohioans who have been waiting to get their vaccine, I urge you to take action now. There are many opportunities throughout the state to get a vaccine,” DeWine said in a release. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is one of those options. It is safe and effective and only requires one shot. In just two weeks, you could be protected from this virus. Getting vaccinated is the quickest way out of the pandemic and the fastest way for us to return to the lives we remember.”
The release from DeWine said Ohio does not currently have the legal ability to send or receive doses of the vaccine from other states or countries. The state has averaged nearly 10,000 new vaccinations per day over the last week, according to health department data.
The state would have to increase the rate of new vaccinations in order to prevent doses from spoiling.
The Ohio Department of Health directed health care providers to follow a first-in, first-out process for vaccine use. This is to ensure doses with the earliest expiration dates get used first, according to the release.
Data from ODH shows that more than 5.3 million Ohioans have started the COVID-19 vaccination process. More than 4.7 million residents are fully vaccinated. Even with improved vaccine numbers, DeWine said “the threat of COVID-19 still remains.”
The Johnson & Johnson shot is a single-dose vaccine for individuals ages 18 and older. Those who receive it will be fully immunized two weeks after receiving it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily paused administration of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine in April due to concerns over blood clots, especially among women under age 50. On April 23, 10 days after the CDC issued the pause, the agency resumed recommending the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, saying the known benefits of the vaccine outweighs the known risks.
Visit coronavirus.ohio.gov for more information about the vaccine.
