White House expecting ‘short-term’ impact after pausing J&J vaccines

The White House said Wednesday it is expecting some “short-term” impact on the daily delivery of COVID vaccines throughout the U.S., as federal health agencies continue pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine will remain in limbo a while longer after U.S. health advisers told the government Wednesday that they need more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot — and if so, how big the potential risk really is.

Also Wednesday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged people to keep their appointments for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines.

Wednesday’s developments come one day after the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration said they are recommending a pause in using the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after six people suffered “rare” and “severe” blood clots after receiving the vaccine.

On Tuesday night, Johnson & Johnson said it was pausing its vaccine clinical trials after blood clotting issues “while we update guidance for investigators and participants.”

During a Tuesday media briefing, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA center for biologics evaluation and research, said one of those who suffered such a reaction has died, while another is in critical condition. Almost 7 million people have been given the J&J vaccine.

All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination, according to Marks.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said even with a temporary loss of J&J ‘s one-shot vaccine, there is a huge supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, enough that “is basically 100% unquestionable, for every single, solitary American.”

In the opening months of his presidency, Biden has put top priority on a response to the virus that has killed 559,000 Americans, with a vaccine campaign in which nearly 50% of adults have received at least one shot.

His actions have received generally strong reviews, and hesitancy toward taking the vaccine has gradually declined as inoculations have increased. With plenty of supply in the pipeline, Biden has received some criticism for not sharing more vaccines with other nations. The president said Tuesday’s action proved the wisdom of his approach.