Local health departments respond to 'pause' in J&J COVID-19 vaccine Cheryl Gerber/AP and last updated 2021-04-13 15:57:32-04 WEST MICHIGAN â West Michigan's local health departments, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office, are responding to the FDA's recommendation to "pause" the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine after reports of rare blood clots. Office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: âThe safety and health of Michiganders will always come first," Whitmer's office said in a statement. "We will follow the FDAâs guidance to temporarily pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution, and adapt our vaccine strategy going forward until a further review of the data can be conducted. With this latest development, itâs more important than ever for the federal government to implement a targeted strategy that allocates additional Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to hotspots like Michigan to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Governor Whitmer will continue fighting for the vaccines we need to protect Michiganders, so we can get back to normal as soon as possible.â