Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine pause lifted

Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine pause lifted

 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Food and Drug Administration lifted their recommended pause on use of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine last week and updated the label to warn of blood clot risks.   "We have concluded that the known and potential benefits of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.   The FDA updated fact sheets accompanying the vaccine, indicating that women under the age of 50 should be aware of the risk of a rare blood clotting syndrome associated with the vaccine.    A new poll released Monday by ABC and the Washington Post indicated that confidence in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine declined during the pause. However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said he hopes that the pause will ultimately boost confidence in vaccine safety.   “When you talk to people, many of them realize that the very fact that the CDC and FDA called this temporary pause really is a reflection of how seriously we take safety,” he told CNN.   This pause also contributed to a decline in Covid-19 vaccinations this past week. But now that the pause is lifted, Dr. Amanda Cohn, a chief medical officer with the CDC, is hopeful things will get back on track.   “We're excited about getting some of those doses that people had appointments for last week – getting vaccines in arms, either for J&J or for one of the mRNA vaccines, this week,” said Cohn.