NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued a statement Tuesday morning and are recommending a pause of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine "out of an abundance of caution" after reported blood clotting cases.
"#COVID19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously," FDA tweeted.
The U.S. agencies say as of Tuesday, there have been six cases of a "rare and severe" type of blood clot in the U.S. after receiving the one-shot vaccine.
"Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered."
A news conference is slated for 9 a.m. CST. FOX 17 News will stream on fox17.com and onFacebook.
Metro Health says due to the recommendation, it will know administer the Pfizer vaccine at the Kmart drive-thru site. Folks with appointments at this site, about 300 a day, were slated to get the J&J vaccine, but now they'll have to make a return trip to get a second shot.
The Tennessee Department of Health says 318,600 J&J vaccine shots have been given out statewide.
CDC will hold an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on Wednesday to review these cases and assess their potential significance.
FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases.
"Until that process is complete, we are recommending this pause," the joint statement said.