FDA recommends “pause” for Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration has recommended a “pause” in use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to review blood clot cases.

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Tuesday the CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to review six cases of “a rare & severe type of blood clot” in people who received the vaccine. 

The agency said it will review that analysis as it also investigates the cases.

As of Monday over 6.8 million doses of the single-dose vaccine had been administered across the country. 

Officials in multiple states said early Tuesday they are scrambling to determine how the decision affects current vaccine supply and distribution plans.

Ed O’Keefe contributed reporting.