U.S. allows Johnson & Johnson vaccine despite risks

U.S. health agencies said the single-dose coronavirus shot is a needed tool to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and Americans can decide for themselves whether the risks outweigh the benefits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 12 so it could investigate reports of blood clots in a small number of recipients. On Friday, the CDC gave the go-ahead to keep giving it.

Is it safe? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is updating its guidance to warn people about blood clots that 15 women younger than 50 developed after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Three of them died, and seven remain hospitalized. About 8 million Americans have received the shot. The FDA is also sending updated instructions to doctors on how to handle the rare complications, which require a different treatment than typical blood clots.

Dig deeper: Johnson & Johnson used cells derived from abortions in its vaccine development. Read Leah Hickman’s report in Vitals about the ethical implications of coronavirus vaccines.