Johnson & Johnson vaccine shortage will not impact Ohio State

Gov. Mike DeWine talks with press and Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson and student leaders, including incoming Student Body President Jacob Chang, after visiting with students receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Credit: Max Garrison: Asst. Campus Editor

Ohio’s decrease in receiving Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines will not impact Ohio State students. 

In fact, the university will receive more Johnson & Johnson vaccines this week compared to last week, Crystal Tubbs, associate director in the department of pharmacy, said. This is because the state has prioritized colleges and universities for distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

“Including both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson doses, the total number of doses dedicated to OSU students will actually be significantly higher for the week of April 12 compared to the week of April 5 in an attempt to get as many students vaccinated as possible prior to the end of the semester,” Tubbs said. 

In a Thursday press conference, Gov. Mike DeWine said the decline from 171,900 last week to 20,300 this week was not related to the 15 million Johnson & Johnson doses ruined by a Baltimore manufacturer who mistakenly mixed ingredients with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

DeWine said he encourages Ohioans to get whichever vaccine is available to them, as all have been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.

Starting Monday, the medical center is allocating 25 percent of its Johnson & Johnson vaccines for the university community.

“Given this increase in Johnson & Johnson doses for students, consistent with the announcement by President Johnson, we’ll actually be dedicating more than 25 percent of our first-dose allocation to OSU faculty and staff starting the week of April 12,” Tubbs said.