At least two dozen Ohio State and other students who got vaccinated at the Schottenstein Center over the weekend fainted after they got the Johnson & Johnson shot. Dr. Jim Allen of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center said he thinks it’s due to lack of proper hydration, not the vaccine.
“I don’t think it’s the J&J,” Allen, a pulmonologist, said. “I think it’s who’s getting the J&J.”
Allen is reminding students and others that they need to drink water and eat something before getting vaccinated. He estimated that about two dozen people between 17 and 22-years-old fainted on Saturday at the university's vaccine clinic after getting the Johnson & Johnson shot.
“Mostly younger people, mostly students who were having faints after they would get their vaccine,” Allen said. “And I talked to every single one of them and the common thread was 'I didn’t eat breakfast' and 'I didn’t have anything to drink before I came over here.'"
Allen added that younger people are more likely to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only needs one dose.
“We always have a physician trained in advance cardiac support at all of our vaccine clinics and by far and away the most common thing I was prescribing on Saturday was bottles of water and cookies,” Allen said.
