Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine’s Back, But American’s Aren’t Willing Or Ready For The Shot

While the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) COVID vaccine received the green light from federal health officials late Friday, Americans are still hesitant about receiving the shot from the drug maker after at least six reports of rare blood clots, according to a recent survey.

The survey released on Monday from the Washington Post-ABC News indicated that just 22% of unvaccinated Americans would be willing to get the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine with 73% or three in four people saying they were unwilling to get the shot from the drugmaker.

Just under half of the individuals polled said they considered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine very or somewhat safe, while seven in 10 people surveyed said they thought the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine were very or somewhat safe.

On April 15, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was recommending that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine be paused due to at least six reports of a rare brain blood clot disorder- cerebral venous sinus thrombosis – that affects about five people in 1 million each year.

The cases were primarily found in women aged 18 to 48, causing the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to evaluate the vaccine, which has been administered to 8 million people in single-dose shots.

At least one woman’s death was reported, and one woman was listed in critical condition. Another Oregon woman also died after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and her health situation was also evaluated by health officials during the evaluation period, the CDC said.

On Friday, federal health officials said the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine outweighed the risks of the shot and would now come with a warning on its label. Health officials have cautioned anyone that received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be aware of severe headaches, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath.

In a statement released on Friday, acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock provided an assessment of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have concluded that the known and potential benefits of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older," the statement read.

“We are confident that this vaccine continues to meet our standards for safety, effectiveness and quality. We recommend people with questions about which vaccine is right for them have those discussions with their health care provider.”

The CDC and FDA have maintained that the blood clots after the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine are an extremely rare disorder.

Shares of Johnson & Johnson on Monday were trading at $164.06 as of 1:53 p.m. ET, up $1.46, or 0.88%.