WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Thursday sharply limited who can receive Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine due to a rare but serious risk of blood clots.
The Food and Drug Administration said the shot should only be given to adults who cannot receive a different vaccine or who specifically request the Johnson & Johnson option. For months, U.S. officials have advised that Americans starting their COVID-19 vaccination series should opt for Pfizer or Moderna injections instead.
FDA officials said in a statement that they decided to restrict the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reanalyzing data on the risk of life-threatening blood clots occurring within two weeks of vaccination.
The decision represents the latest restriction affecting the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which for a long time has been eclipsed by Pfizer and Moderna’s two-shot regimens.
In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged prioritizing Moderna and Pfizer vaccines over Johnson & Johnson because of safety concerns. Earlier, American officials had treated the three vaccines similarly, since each had been shown to offer strong protection.
But follow-up studies have consistently shown lower effectiveness for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And while the clotting events associated with the Johnson & Johnson shot are rare, officials say they are still occurring.
AP’s Health and Science desk receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education division. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
