The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause Explained

<p>Federal health agencies on Tuesday called for a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus shot as they examine a rare blood-clotting disorder that emerged in six recipients.</p><p>Every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico halted their rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine almost immediately. The same went for the U.S. military, federally run vaccination sites, and CVS, Walgreens, and other stores.</p><p>Today, science writer Carl Zimmer explains the decision-making process, how long the suspension might last and the impact it could have not only in the U.S. but around the world.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/carl-zimmer">Carl Zimmer</a>, a science writer and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/signup/NTTD?smid=pc-thedaily">Sign up here</a> to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Injections of<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine.html?smid=pc-thedaily"> Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine</a> came to a sudden halt across the United States on Tuesday after federal health agencies<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/politics/johnson-johnson-vaccine-blood-clots-fda-cdc.html?smid=pc-thedaily"> called for a pause in the vaccine’s use</a>.</li><li>The<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/health/cdc-johnson-vaccine-pause.html?smid=pc-thedaily"> pause could continue for a week to 10 days</a>, after expert advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined on Wednesday that they needed more time to assess a possible link to a rare but serious blood-clotting disorder.</li><li>What does the pause mean for people who have recently received the Johnson & Johnson shot and how common are blood clots? He