Dr. Fauci says he expects the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to resume later this week
The United States will likely move to resume Johnson & Johnson鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine this coming week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings after reports of some very rare blood clot cases, the government鈥檚 top infectious diseases expert said Sunday.
, in a series of news show interviews, said he expects a decision when to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meet Friday to discuss the pause in J&J鈥檚 single-dose vaccine.
鈥淚 would be very surprised if we don鈥檛 have a resumption in some form by Friday,鈥� he said. "I don鈥檛 really anticipate that they鈥檙e going to want it stretch it out a bit longer.鈥�
Fauci, who is President Joe Biden鈥檚 chief medical adviser, said he believed that federal regulators could bring the shots back with restrictions based on age or gender or with a blanket warning, so that it is administered in a way 鈥渁 little bit different than we were before the pause.鈥�
The J&J vaccine has been in limbo after the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said last week they needed more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot 鈥� and if so, how big the risk is.
The reports are rare 鈥� six cases out of more than 7 million U.S. inoculations with J&J vaccine. The clots were found in six women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died.
The acting FDA commissioner had said she expected the pause to last only a matter of days. Still, the decision last Tuesday triggered swift action in Europe and elsewhere.
Fauci said he doubted very seriously that the U.S. would permanently halt use of the J&J vaccine.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he pause was to take a look, make sure we know all the information we can have within that timeframe, and also warn some of the physicians out there who might see people, particularly women, who have this particular adverse event, that they treat them properly.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檒l likely say, 鈥極K, we鈥檙e going to use it. But be careful under these certain circumstances.鈥欌�
More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects. Authorities stressed they have found no sign of clot problems with the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. 鈥� from Moderna and Pfizer.
Fauci appeared on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press,鈥� CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union,鈥� ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥� and CBS鈥� 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥�