SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio - Health officials operating the Summit County Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Clinic said they will resume administering the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on May 1.

What You Need To Know

  • Health officials operating the Summit County Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Clinic said they will resume administering the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on May 1

  • The U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted a recommendation that the J&J vaccine be paused after six reports of a rare and severe blood clot

  • Appointments at the fairgrounds should be scheduled through the state’s online scheduling portal, or by phone at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH

  • After examining the data, the FDA and CDC said the known benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh potential risks

Appointments at the fairgrounds are available between 9 a.m. and noon, and can be made through the state’s online scheduling portal, or by phone at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. The fairgrounds clinic will increase hours for administering the vaccine as demand increases, said Summit County Public Health spokeswoman Marlene Martin in a text message.

The Summit County Fairgrounds is located at 1050 North Ave. in Tallmadge.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted a recommendation that use of the J&J vaccine be paused after six reports of a rare and severe blood clot was present in people who received the one-dose vaccine.

During the pause, the FDA and CDC investigated the data surrounding the blood clots, also known as thrombosis-thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), and determined the known benefits outweigh the potential risks, the organizations said in a joint news release.

 “The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19,” officials stated in the release. “At this time, the available data suggest that the chance of TTS occurring is very low, but the FDA and CDC will remain vigilant in continuing to investigate this risk.

Summit County Fairgrounds suspended use of J&J on April 13 but continued administering COVID-19 vaccines using the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, Summit County Public Health said in a news release. Those receiving the Pfizer vaccine were scheduled for their second dose at the time of the first shot.

“It remains a priority for us to vaccinate as many individuals as possible,” said Summit Health Commissioner Donna Skoda in the release.

About 31% of those who want vaccinated against COVID-19 in Summit County have completed the full treatment, and about 42% have begun the vaccinated process, according to the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard.

Those who are vaccinated using the Pfizer vaccine must wait 21 days between doses, while Moderna requires 28 days between doses.