Oregon woman develops rare blood clot, dies after receiving Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

(Update: adding video, comments from OHA)

Health officials stress they cannot say until investigation is complete whether death related to shot

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- An Oregon woman has died after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, officials with the Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now investigating the death, to find out if it was in fact related to the vaccine.

"It might be about a week or later before they're able to conclusively decide on the cause of death for any of the individuals outlined so far," OHA Senior Health Advisor Dr. Shimi Sharief told reporters.

The Oregon woman is the seventh to be hospitalized because of blood clots after receiving the vaccine, and the second to die.

With 7.5 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered nationwide, and 87,000 in Oregon, health officials are noting the severity of the situation.

Morgan Emerson, health information officer with Deschutes County Health Services, told NewsChannel 21, "These events with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are extremely rare, around one in a million. We know that the COVID-19 vaccines have been well-studied and are safe and effective."

OHA released few details about the woman, including her location or whether she had underlying conditions.

Still, if you're one of the more than 3,300 people in Deschutes County who’ve received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last three weeks, health officials say you should watch out for these symptoms: Severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath.

All were seen among the seven women who have been hospitalized. If you have any of those symptoms, you should call your doctor right away.

The announcement came just one day before the CDC is reportedly leaning toward lifting the pause on the nationwide distribution of the vaccine, which has been in place since April 13. It went into effect after reports of rare blood clots found in six women after they received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“If the CDC does make a recommendation to resume distribution of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we have the utmost confidence that it will be a decision made with thorough investigation and consideration,” Sharief said. “So in that sense, we would reflect our distribution process based on the recommendation of the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) tomorrow."

The OHA and Deschutes County Health Services said you should continue scheduling appointments to receive COVID-19 vaccines when they become available.

Here's the full news release from the Oregon Health Authority:

The Oregon Health Authority said Thursday it's been informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the death of an Oregon woman this week who developed a rare blood clot following immunization with Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Information about the death has been sent to the CDC through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the national reporting system used to collect reports of adverse events after vaccination.

OHA was notified of the potential adverse event on Tuesday, two days after the CDC was notified. The Oregon resident, a woman in her 50s, received a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine before the pause order on its use was issued. OHA has not identified where in Oregon the woman resided.

"Until the investigation is complete, it cannot be concluded whether her death is related to the vaccine," OHA said in its announcement.

Officials said the woman developed a rare but serious blood clot within two weeks following vaccination. The blood clot was seen in combination with very low platelets. Prior to the issuance of the pause, cases of this serious blood clot had been identified among six women around the country who received the vaccine.

Health care providers are required to report certain adverse events after COVID-19 vaccines, in accordance with the emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines. These include serious adverse events, such as death, any life-threatening event and inpatient hospitalization. At the time of the CDC–FDA pause recommendation, about 7.5 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been administered in the United States, with more than 87,000 doses having been administered at locations throughout Oregon.

"The case in Oregon will add to the evidence of potential risk associated with Johnson & Johnson vaccine," OHA said. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will review the data accumulated to date and weigh the risks and benefits of the vaccine. These considerations will inform the ACIP’s recommendations regarding use of the vaccine going forward.

The CDC and OHA will provide updates on any developments as they can be shared during the review and investigation process.

"OHA still continues to encourage all Oregonians to schedule an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccination when appointments become available," the agency said.