Most people in the United States should receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for coronavirus rather than Johnson & Johnson’s, which can cause rare but severe clots, a panel from the Centers for Control and Prevention recommended Thursday. Disease (CDC).
The problem has caused nine confirmed deaths after the administration of J&J vaccines – while those from Pfizer or Moderna carry no such risk and also appear to be more effective, CDC advisers said.
It’s an unusual announcement, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will now have to decide whether to follow the panel’s recommendation.
Until now, the United States has treated the three vaccines available in the country as equal options, as large-scale studies showed that all three offer good protection and initial supplies were limited. The J&J vaccine was initially welcomed as a single-dose option that could be particularly important for hard-to-serve groups, such as homeless who may not receive the necessary second dose of Pfizer or Moderna injections.
But on Thursday, the CDC advisory panel said it was time to acknowledge that much has changed since vaccines began shipping a year ago. More than 200 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated, including 16 million with J&J.
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