CDC advisers recommend Pfizer, Moderna shots over J&J

CDC advisers recommend Pfizer, Moderna shots over J&J Health providers should offer the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines rather than Johnson & Johnson's because of an increased risk of blood clots in young and middle-aged women, a panel of advisers Nathaniel Weixel TheHill

Health providers should offer the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines rather than Johnson & Johnson's because of an increased risk of blood clots in young and middle-aged women, a panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday.

The so-called "preferential" recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices does not necessarily put any limitations or restrictions on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Instead, it gives individuals the ability to make a decision for themselves.

The panel voted 15-0 that the mRNA vaccines are preferred to the J&J vaccine, but many members wanted stronger language.

A final decision will be made by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who is expected to adopt the recommendation.

Panelists said the recommendation was not based on the efficacy of the vaccine, but instead on safety. Johnson & Johnson's shot will still be recommended in cases where people cannot access a different brand or if people want it despite the risk.

The vaccine has been linked to a rare but severe type of blood clot — Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) — which led to the product's pause for 10 days last April. Health officials examined the cases, which were found in just six women out of more than 7 million doses administered. 

On Thursday, CDC officials presented new data that showed higher incidences of the clotting disorder. Through Aug. 31, 54 people who received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot were diagnosed with the condition, out of about 14 million shots administered.  Overall, the rate of the condition was 3.8 cases per 1 million people; still rare, but more common than previously thought. ...