Federal health officials urged vaccination centers across the country on Tuesday to pause their use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six women — one of whom died and another who is in critical condition — developed blood clots within two weeks of vaccination.
Members of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said the condition, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), is “extremely rare” after getting the Johnson & Johnson shot.
The pause, which is expected to last for a couple of days, stemmed from an abundance of caution, giving officials time to understand what’s causing the severe type of clotting and prepare health care systems to recognize and treat patients appropriately if more cases appear.
