My first reaction to the news that the CDC and FDA had recommended states pause the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a rare blood clotting disorder was how glad I will be getting a Moderna vaccine in a couple of days.
I can understand the arguments of some who think this is an overreaction. You basically have a one in a million chance of being afflicted with this disorder if you get the J & J vaccine. There is also concern that this will promote vaccine hesitancy and/or create a vaccine shortage.
However, there were going to be fewer J&J vaccines available due to a manufacturing snafu anyway. And I have little doubt Pfizer and Moderna will pick up the slack. Depending on how long the pause is there is always a chance the FDA could give emergency use authorization to another vaccine such as Astra Zeneca though it too has had its challenges where it concerns blood clots as well.
Perhaps I'd be more worried had I been scheduled for a J&J vaccine. But I have a feeling this will prove to be a small bump in the road against COVID-19. My far greater concerns is the haphazard reopening process underway in various states and the continuing rate of community spread. How long will it be before we're recording 100,000 new cases a day? Should that happen I will truly take pause.
No comments:
Post a Comment