The future of the J&J vaccine rollout
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Johnson and Johnson paused the one-shot vaccine rollout after 6 women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed blood clots. One these cases was even deadly. Now, the CDC and health officials are observing further studies of the vaccine, with hopes that it will make a potential return.
The blood clots, considered extremely rare, as more than 6.8 million people in the U.S. have received the shot with no clotting. Because of this, Dr. Anthony Fauci is hopeful the shot can return with potential restrictions.
"Now I don't want to get ahead of the CDC and the FDA and the advisory committee but what I imagine what we will see that it would come back, and it would come back in some sort of warning or restriction. Again, I don't know. I don't want to be ahead of them. I keep getting asked that. I do think we'll get it back in some manner or form. But what I'm sure, I hope, that we don't see anything extended beyond Friday. We need to get Friday some decision one way or the other,” Dr. Fauci.
Part of the reason there would be some restrictions on the shot is certain people might be more at risk for blood clots than others. Some, comparing it to oral contraceptives, which have a higher risk of blood clots specifically among women.
However, officials needing to still review the risks because the type of clotting caused by the J&J vaccine is reported to be much rarer compared to that of birth control. The J&J shot was a blood clot found in the brain, and the patients all were reported to have low levels of blood platelets.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicting the U.S. will continue the shot with warnings and restrictions on who is eligible to receive it. Dr. Fauci also explaining vaccine rollouts are the best solution to return to normal.
“Because when that happens for absolutely certain, you're going to see the level of virus in the community go down and down and down to the point where you would not have to have those public health restrictions. So it's almost paradoxical that on the one hand, they want to be relieved of the restrictions, but on the other hand, they don't want to get vaccinated. It just almost doesn't make any sense," says Dr. Fauci.
Health officials will decide the vaccines future this Friday.