Europeanregulators earlier this week made a similar decision,deciding the clot risk was small enough to allow the rollout of J&J’s shot.
Federal health officials uncovered 15 vaccine recipients who developed a highly unusual kind of blood clot,out of nearly 8 million people given the J&J shot. All were women,most under age 50. Three died,and seven remain hospitalised.
Advisers to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said while J&J’s vaccine is important for fighting the pandemic,it’s also critical that younger women be told about that risk in clear, understandable terms — so they can decide if they’d rather choose an alternate vaccine instead.
The panel voted 10-4 to lift an 11-day pause in use of the J&J shot while adding warnings that women and health workers would see in leaflets at vaccination clinics.
The group debated but ultimately steered clear of outright age restrictions.
“This is an age group that is most at risk (of the clotting) that is getting vaccine predominately to save other peoples’ lives and morbidity,not their own. And I think we have a responsibility to be certain that they know this,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University College of Medicine,who voted against the proposal because she felt it did not go far enough in warning women.