FDA Restricts J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Some People Over Blood Clot Risk

U.S. regulators have strictly limited who can receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine due to the risk of rare but severe blood clots.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday that adults should only get the J&J shot if “they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine” or if they can't receive one of the mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. The shot will now be limited to people ages 18 and older who are medically ineligible for another approved vaccine or who only have access to the J&J vaccine and want one.

U.S. authorities have recommended for months that Americans get Pfizer or Moderna shots instead of J&J’s due to potentially serious side effects. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are two-dose vaccines and use mRNA technology; J&J’s single-shot vaccine uses adenovirus technology.

The news was covered by sources across the political spectrum. Left- and center-rated sources placed more emphasis on how rare the blood clot side effects are compared to right-rated sources. Some reports from the left also highlighted an FDA official who said that the "known and potential benefits of the vaccine" still currently outweigh the negatives.