In another whiplash-inducing announcement sure to bring more questions than answers, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel on Thursday voted 15-0 to recommend that mRNA Wuhan coronavirus vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna take preference over Johnson & Johnson's single-dose shot for most Americans.
As The Associated Press reported, the J&J shot "can cause rare but serious blood clots" and "has caused nine confirmed deaths... while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don't come with that risk and also appear to be more effective" according to the CDC advisors that announced their updated recommendation.
Even AP admitted that Thursday's announcement is "an unusual move" that now puts CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in a position of deciding "whether to accept the panel's advice" and "whether the newest safety data warrants any new limits on J&J's vaccine."
A CDC panel recommends that most Americans should be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot after reviewing safety data. The J&J shot can cause rare but serious blood clots which have caused nine confirmed deaths. https://t.co/5uLxSfHSm9
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 16, 2021
The AP bulletin on the decision provides more context on why the panel's conclusion is jarring this far into the United States' vaccination program:
Until now the U.S. has treated all three COVID-19 vaccines available to Americans as an equal choice, since large studies found they all offered strong protection and early supplies were limited. J&J's vaccine initially was welcomed as a single-dose option that could be especially important for hard-to-reach groups like homeless people who might not get the needed second dose of Pfizer or Moderna options.
But the CDC's advisors said Thursday that it was time to recognize that a lot has changed since vaccines began rolling out a year ago. More than 200 million Americans are considered fully vaccinated, including about 16 million who got the J&J shot.
As Townhall reported on April 13, the CDC — along with the FDA — recommended "a pause" on the use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine when reports surfaced that "the use of J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine suggested an increased risk of a rare adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Most reports of this serious condition, which involves blood clots with low platelets, have been in adult women younger than 50 years old," the CDC's website explained.
But then on April 23, the CDC again "recommended use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine resume in the United States after a temporary pause" because "a review of available data showed that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks."
That post-pause recommendation lasted until Thursday, nearly eight months later, when the CDC's advisors again raised concerns about whether J&J's vaccine should be recommended on an equal footing with Pfizer's and Moderna's based on the rare clotting issue. "The government has confirmed 54 clot cases in both women and men, and nine deaths that included two men, Dr. Isaac See of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday," according to AP, while "two additional deaths are suspected."
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