Update: The CDC is now officially taking the stance that that "mRNA vaccines are preferred over [Johnson & Johnson's] Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 for those 18 years of age and over." Within hours of a panel making that recommendation, the CDC director accepted it, CNN reports. Our original story from Thursday follows:
Most Americans should be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot that can cause rare but serious blood clots, US health advisers said Thursday. The strange clotting problem has caused nine confirmed deaths after J&J vaccinations—while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don't come with that risk and also appear to be more effective, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. It's an unusual move, and the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, now must decide whether to accept the panel's recommendation.
Until now, the government has treated all three COVID-19 vaccines available to Americans as an equal choice, since large studies found they all offered strong protection and early supplies were limited. J&J's vaccine initially was welcomed as a single-dose option that could be especially important for hard-to-reach groups like homeless people who might not get the needed second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna options. But the advisers said Thursday that it was time to recognize that a lot has changed since vaccines began rolling out a year ago. More than 200 million Americans are considered fully vaccinated, including about 16 million who got the J&J shot.
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While cases of blood clots are rare, the Food and Drug Administration told health care providers this week that more have occurred since spring. They occur most in women between 30 and 49—about once for every 100,000 doses administered, the FDA said. Overall, the government has confirmed 54 clot cases in both women and men, and nine deaths that included two men, Dr. Isaac See of the CDC said Thursday. He said two additional deaths are suspected. More than 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, about 16 million of them with the J&J vaccine. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made differently, and regulators say they don't come with this clot risk.
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