By — Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Matthew Perrone, Associated Press By — Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/fda-restricts-johnson-johnsons-covid-19-vaccine-due-to-blood-clot-risk Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter FDA restricts Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine due to blood clot risk Health May 5, 2022 5:39 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Thursday strictly 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 specifically request J&J’s vaccine. U.S. authorities for months have recommended that Americans starting their COVID-19 vaccinations use the Pfizer or Moderna shots instead. FDA officials said in a statement that they decided to restrict J&J’s vaccine after taking another look at data on the risk of life-threatening blood clots within two week of vaccination. WATCH: Can the ‘vaccine for the world’ help end the global pandemic? The decision is the latest restriction to hit J&J’s one-dose vaccine, which has long been overshadowed by the more effective two shots from Pfizer and Moderna. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended prioritizing the Moderna and Pfizer shots over J&J’s because of its safety issues. Previously U.S. officials had treated all three vaccines similarly because they’d each been shown to offer strong protection. But follow-up studies have consistently shown lower effectiveness for J&J’s vaccine. And while the blood clots seen with J&J’s shot are rare, officials say they’re still occurring. Editor’s note: Johnson & Johnson is a funder for the PBS NewsHour. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Matthew Perrone, Associated Press By — Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Thursday strictly 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 specifically request J&J’s vaccine. U.S. authorities for months have recommended that Americans starting their COVID-19 vaccinations use the Pfizer or Moderna shots instead. FDA officials said in a statement that they decided to restrict J&J’s vaccine after taking another look at data on the risk of life-threatening blood clots within two week of vaccination. WATCH: Can the ‘vaccine for the world’ help end the global pandemic? The decision is the latest restriction to hit J&J’s one-dose vaccine, which has long been overshadowed by the more effective two shots from Pfizer and Moderna. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended prioritizing the Moderna and Pfizer shots over J&J’s because of its safety issues. Previously U.S. officials had treated all three vaccines similarly because they’d each been shown to offer strong protection. But follow-up studies have consistently shown lower effectiveness for J&J’s vaccine. And while the blood clots seen with J&J’s shot are rare, officials say they’re still occurring. Editor’s note: Johnson & Johnson is a funder for the PBS NewsHour. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now