Vials with a sticker saying “COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only” and a medical syringe are shown in front of a Johnson & Johnson logo displayed in this illustration, taken Oct. 31, 2020. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration
Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted on Sunday that US health regulators will end the temporary hiatus in distributing Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, adding that he expects a decision to be made as early as Friday.
“I estimate that we will continue to use it in some form or another. I very seriously doubt they will just cancel it. I don’t think this will happen. I do think there is probably some sort of warning or limitation or risk assessment,” said Fauci on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
US health authorities last week recommended discontinuing use of the J&J vaccine following reports of six cases of rare brain blood clots in women, out of the approximately 7 million people who received the shot in the United States.
The advisory panel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet on April 23 to discuss next steps for the vaccine.
Fauci said he doesn’t know what the final decision will be, but he predicts a resumption will come.
“I don’t know if there have been any more cases. We’ll know by Friday, and I would be very surprised … if we don’t have a resumption in some form on Friday. A decision will almost certainly be made. Against Friday, ‘Fauci said on CBS’ Face the Nation.
Fauci also set out a possible timeline for when children could be vaccinated against COVID-19 on Sunday.
“I would be surprised if we couldn’t get the high school kids vaccinated in the fall,” he told CBS. “I think by the time we hit the first quarter of 2022, we’ll be able to vaccinate children of almost any age – hopefully before then,” he added.
“But I think that’s the last we’ll see.”
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Principles of Trust.