- Federal drug safety regulators have recommended pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after six women experienced blood clots after vaccination.
- The clots are rare but serious, and may be caused by an unusual immune reaction that triggers clotting.
- Some health experts say temporarily halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson shot could slow the vaccine rollout and fuel vaccine hesitancy.
Federal drug safety regulators have recommended pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after six women experienced blood clots after vaccination.
Of the six women who experienced clots, one died and another is hospitalized.
Experts are still investigating whether the vaccine was the cause of these events.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended halting the use of the vaccine to alert healthcare professionals about the clots and ensure they’re prepared to diagnose and treat them.
The clots appear to be similar to the unusual, rare clots reported in a handful of people who received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Many health experts say temporarily halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson shot — a vaccine that’s highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19 — could slow the vaccine rollout and fuel vaccine hesitancy.
Studies suggest the shots could be triggering an immune response that causes clotting, but more research is needed to better understand the potential link.
Source: healthline