AP Photo In this screenshot from video, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during a press conference Monday. Walensky said Michigan should “close things down” to help address the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak, days after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer instead urged people to voluntarily restrict certain activities.

HANCOCK — The national pause of usage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should not result in much disruption locally for people who have appointments scheduled, including upcoming mass vaccination clinics, Western Upper Peninsula Health Department Medical Officer Kate Beer said Tuesday.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration recommended a temporary halt in the use of that vaccine after it was found to cause severe clotting problems in several cases — six out of nearly 7 million doses administered so far. The side effect has not been seen in the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services formalized the pause Tuesday.

“We are stopping all use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until we have more information on the few incidents of concern and clear recommendations on future use,” WUPHD Medical Director Robert Van Howe said in a release. “This does not change the fact that COVID-19 vaccination overall is safe and effective. Millions have been vaccinated.”

While the WUPHD has mostly been using Moderna, it had planned to use Johnson & Johnson for upcoming mass vaccination clinics at Michigan Technological University. The first of those, which will be held at the Student Development Complex Thursday, will offer Moderna instead, Beer said.

“We have enough Moderna to take care of all the appointments that we have,” Beer said.

A scheduled vaccine clinic in Gogebic Tuesday also planned to offer the Moderna vaccine, according to a WUPHD release.

However, scheduled homebound visits for Tuesday in Houghton County were postponed, WUPHD said.

All scheduled clinics are tentative until the Advisory Committee on Immunization practices meets Wednesday, WUPHD said. All current scheduling for COVID-19 vaccines with the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department is being paused as staff assess supplies and contact those scheduled for appointments Tuesday, the WUPHD said.

The WUPHD said it would contact people with appointments for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to offer them Moderna or reschedule them as soon as possible.

“We really hadn’t scheduled that far ahead, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Beer said.

In a statement, the FDA said all six cases were in women between the ages of 18 to 48, and occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. The most common anticoagulant, heparin, is dangerous when used to type this of clotting, the FDA said. The pause will be used to find a blood thinner without adverse effects.

The risk of the side effect for people who got the vaccine a month ago is low, the WUPHD said.

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the past few weeks and are experiencing any symptoms — severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath — should contact their medical provider and seek treatment.

To find a vaccine provider in the area, go to coppercountrystrong.com/vaccine. Those without computer access can call 211 or their healthcare provider to set up an appointment.

Beer also said there had been no additional cases reported locally of the B.1.1.7 variant. Five cases had been reported in the county, part of more than 2,000 statewide.

So far, there does not appear to be a rise in cases tied to spring break, Beer said.

“Nobody’s really tied to anything yet, but then again, people aren’t always telling us who their contacts are,” she said.