The pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could be lifted as early as next week as federal health authorities are leaning toward letting the use of the vaccine resume with a warning.
Two government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that internal discussions within the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were moving in the direction of lifting the pause, according to the Washington Post.
Lifting the pause would mean the resumption of the only single-dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the United States.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON PAUSE MAKES IT HARDER TO VACCINATE RELUCTANT, HARD-TO-REACH PATIENTS
On April 13, the FDA and the CDC recommended pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six women had developed rare blood clots within six to 13 days of receiving the vaccine. The following day, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the body within the CDC charged with making recommendations on vaccines, met to discuss the safety issues, but it adjourned without making a decision.
Over 7.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered.
Federal officials believe that the side effect can be addressed by a warning, given how rare the occurrence of blog clots is. The warning would highlight the groups at higher risk for a clot and inform physicians on how to identify and treat the condition.
The ACIP will meet on Friday to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It is expected to make a decision regarding the pause at that meeting.
News reports suggest that pausing the vaccine has made it harder to get people vaccinated who are homebound, live long distances from vaccination sites, or are generally reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Additionally, public confidence in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has dropped following the pause. The share of people saying that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was very or somewhat safe plunged from 52% to 37%, according to a YouGov survey. The share of people saying that they thought it was very or somewhat unsafe rose from 26% to 39%.
