Federal health officials recommended Tuesday pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine while they investigate six reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot.
Use of the one-dose vaccine was halted after six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed the blood clots within three weeks of getting the shot, with one woman dying, The New York Times reported.
Additionally, four “serious cases of unusual blood clots” were reported to European health authorities after people received the vaccine, according to CNN.
However, both U.S. and Europe public health authorities haven’t definitively said whether there is a connection between the vaccine and the clots, CNN reported.
“Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said in a joint statement. “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously.”
Recipients who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks should contact their health provider, the CDC and FDA said.
As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Johnson & Johnson said it was aware of the “extremely rare” disorder and that “safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority.”
“We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to health care professionals and the public,” the company said in a statement posted on its website.
Despite the pause, President Biden said it wouldn’t affect the U.S.’s ability to effectively inoculate all citizens.
“There is enough vaccine, that is basically 100% unquestionable, for every single, solitary, American,” Biden said.
