Federal health officials are recommending an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration issued a joint statement early Tuesday announcing the agencies are investigating six instances of “a rare and severe blood clot” occurring in women between 18 and 48 years old within six to 13 days after receiving the one-dose vaccine. The statement noted that more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the country.

The New York Times is reporting that one woman has died and another woman in the western state of Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition.

The CDC says it will hold an emergency meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to “to further review these cases and assess their potential significance.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the second one linked to potential blood clots. Several nations have issued new guidelines over the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after the European Union’s medical regulator announced a link between the vaccine and rare, possibly fatal blood clots.

Story Date: April 14, 2021