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Gov. DeWine Encourages Young People To Get COVID-19 Vaccine During Stop At OU Clinic
By: Aaron Payne
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(UPDATE 4/13, 10:44 a.m.) A day after Gov. Mike DeWine’s visit to Ohio University’s on-campus vaccine clinic, the state advised a pause on Johnson & Johnson Vaccine as the feds review “extremely rare” blood clot cases.
“In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia),” a statement from the CDC said.
The six cases are all women between the ages of 18 and 48 with symptoms happening six to 13 days after receiving the vaccination. Officials also say treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different than what might be typically administered.
The U.S. has administered 6.8 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged young people to get the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine during a visit to Ohio University Monday.
“Yes, young people generally don’t get too sick. Some do,” DeWine said. “But, we also know that they are significant carriers. And if we are going to get to herd immunity, if we’re going to slow this virus down in Ohio, we have to have our young people who will take it.”
Ohio has more than 70 percent of residents over 65 vaccinated as of Monday. And DeWine said now it’s important to fill in the gaps to reach that herd immunity.
He and his wife, Fran, made the stop at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s vaccine clinic at Heritage Hall as part of his recent tour of shot clinics across the state.
Several students received the Johnson & Johnson shot as the governor looked on.
“We made the decision that we wanted to vaccinate every college student in the state who wanted the vaccine, and to do that we knew that we really had to take the Johnson & Johnson,” DeWine said. “With Moderna, it’s a four week lag [between shots] and Pfizer it’s three. Johnson & Johnson, of course, is one and done.”
“Our way of getting back to normal is through the vaccine. It’s our only way to get back. With [35 percent] of Ohioans vaccinated, we’re certainly on our way.”
Dr. Gillian Ice, special assistant to OU President Duane Nellis for public health operations, said the student clinics have been well attended since they began roughly a week ago, but they were not full.
“We think some of that is because students have already gotten the vaccine,” Ice said. “But we certainly still have people signing up.”
DeWine said college students are one of three groups the state has recently targeted in its vaccine outreach. The other two are eligible high school students and businesses that can encourage their employees to get vaccinated.
The clinic on the Athens campus is a partnership between Ohio University, the Athens City-County Health Department and Ohio Health.
Curtis Feder, who is is a student journalist working with WOUB’s Media Lab, contributed to this report.