A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel voted on Friday to recommend lifting a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, reports The New York Times. The panel decided there should be an added label to note the blood clotting disorder that has emerged as a rare side effect of the vaccine.
The CDC said there have been 15 confirmed reports of blood clots following Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, out of nearly 8 million doses administered in the U.S., reports ABC News. All 15 cases were in women, mostly women in their 30s, and three of the women died. After six cases were reported, the FDA and CDC called for a pause of the vaccine on April 13 "out of an abundance of caution."
The panel determined the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the seemingly rare risk, and will advise the CDC on its decision accordingly. Health officials are expected to follow the advisory and recommend that states begin using the vaccine again immediately.
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