CDC Panel Delays Decision on Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Amid Blood Clot Concerns
U.S. health officials keep the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on pause after an advisory committee requests more time to review rare but severe blood clot cases. The experts plan to reconvene within 10 days to issue a formal recommendation.
U.S. health officials maintain a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as a CDC advisory committee requests additional time to evaluate the shot. The expert panel declines to vote on resuming vaccinations, effectively extending the hold that federal agencies initiated just 36 hours earlier after six women develop severe blood clots.
The reported cases involve women between the ages of 18 and 48 who experience cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare disorder where blood clots prevent drainage from the brain, within two weeks of vaccination. Out of approximately 7.2 million administered doses, these six patients present with no prior risk factors, though the CDC anticipates identifying a few more potential cases from recent recipients.
Medical experts note that an early warning sign of this clotting syndrome is a severe headache similar to a stroke. The advisory committee plans to reconvene within the next 10 days to gather more data and issue a final recommendation on whether to lift the pause entirely, restrict the vaccine to certain demographics, or halt its use completely.