Pause of J&J vaccine threatens to slow U.S. pandemic progress amid rising caseload

President Biden tried to reassure Americans that there will be enough coronavirus vaccine shots for “every single solitary American” when asked by reporters about the recommended pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

About 7.2 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered, and there have been only six reports of blood clots, a rate of about 1 in 1.1 million vaccinations. When distribution resumes, it’s important to remember just how rare these incidents are.

More than two dozen states reacted quickly to Tuesday’s announcement by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, pausing injections while officials review the reports of blood clots.

Amid the review by U.S. regulators, Johnson & Johnson is pausing the rollout of its vaccine in Europe, saying it made the decision “proactively.”

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease expert, sought to allay Americans’ worries after the pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, assuring them that of the 120 million Americans who have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot, few had issues.

Pfizer has ramped up their vaccine production and will deliver 10 percent more doses to the United States by the end of May than previously agreed, the company’s chief executive Albert Bourla said Tuesday.