J&J COVID-19 vaccine 'pause' reviewed, US officials hope to resume shots

Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet again on Friday to consider whether to it is safe to resume injections of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, as senior U.S. health officials prepare for a green light.

The panel last week called for more data about a possible link to rare blood clots in the brain before deciding how and whether to end a "pause" in administration of J&J vaccines called for by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration. The decision by CDC's advisory panel has global implications since J&J's immunization is seen as an important tool for poorer countries and less accessible populations, given that it only requires one dose and can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures, making it relatively easy to transport.