Federal officials recommend temporary pause for J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention announced today they are reviewing Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine after six recipients in the United States developed a rare and severe disorder involving blood clots after receiving the vaccine. 

This condition is extremely rare. More than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been delivered in the United States and only six cases have been reported so far. 

All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. Treatment for the specific clotting disorder is different from the treatment that might typically be administered, federal officials said. 

People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. 

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.