AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after a minuscule percentage of patients who took the vaccine developed a rare blood clot. Of the roughly 6.8 million people who have taken the J&J vaccine, only 6 people have developed the blood clot, which requires different treatment than normal blood clots.
The FDA and the CDC acknowledged that their recommendation comes from “an abundance of caution,” but they still recommended a pause in the distribution.
“As of 4/12, 6.8m+ doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC & FDA are reviewing data involving 6 reported U.S. cases of a rare & severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine,” the FDA announced on Twitter. “Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.”