Federal health agencies on Tuesday will call for an immediate pause in use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine after six recipients in the United States developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination, officials briefed on the decision said. All six recipients were women between the ages of 18 and 48. One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition, the officials said. Nearly seven million people in the United States have received Johnson & Johnson shots so far, and roughly nine million more doses have been shipped ... (full story)

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is asking states to temporarily halt using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine after six people in the U.S. developed a rare blood clotting disorder. The FDA said the recommendation is “out of an abundance of caution,” adding the adverse events seen in the handful of recipients appears to be extremely rare. {tweet} “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously,” the FDA said in a joint statement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ... (full story)