Member-only story
The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine Pause Isn’t Just About Blood Clots
The J&J pause seems scary, but it helps rebuild the transparency and trust we need
I’m writing weekly for Medium about my experiences as an emergency medicine doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read my previous posts on vaccine passports, why this summer will be really weird, and more, here.
The joint recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 13 to “pause” the use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Janssen vaccine was a very unwelcome surprise.
Prior to the announcement, the pace of vaccination had been expanding every week, partly due to the increased supply of the J&J vaccine. Soon every adult American would be eligible for a shot. We were en route to vaccinating our way to a blissful summer. And then came news that the J&J vaccine may be related to an increased risk of blood clots.
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, pundits took to cable news and social media to pontificate as to why the FDA and CDC decision was unarguably wrong.
The most compelling arguments centered around the low risk of complications. There had only been six U.S. cases of a rare blood clot found…
