US restricts use of J&J Covid vaccine over rare blood clot risk

The Food and Drug Administration said the shot should be given
only to those who request it or cannot receive other vaccines
(https://bit.ly/3ylMI8T). US regulators on Thursday strictly limited
who can receive Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine due to
a rare but serious risk of blood clots.
The Food and Drug Administration said the shot should only be
given to adults who cannot receive a different vaccine or
specifically request Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. US authorities
for months have recommended that Americans starting their
Covid-19 vaccinations use the Pfizer or Moderna shots instead.
FDA officials said in a statement that they decided to restrict
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after taking another look at data
on the risk of life-threatening blood clots within two weeks of
vaccination.
The decision is the latest restriction to hit Johnson & Johnson’s
one-dose vaccine, which has long been overshadowed by the more
effective two shots from Pfizer and Moderna.
In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommended prioritizing the Moderna and Pfizer shots over Johnson
& Johnson’s because of its safety concerns. Previously US officials
had treated all three vaccines similarly because they’d each been
shown to offer strong protection.
But follow-up studies have consistently shown lower effectiveness
for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. And while the blood clots seen
with Johnson & Johnson’s shot are rare, officials say they are still
occurring.