Apr 20, 2021 - Health

Johnson & Johnson to resume COVID vaccine rollout in Europe

Jacob Knutson

A box of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine doses in Washington, D.C., on April 12. — Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday it would resume the rollout of its coronavirus vaccine in Europe after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said unusual blood clots should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of the company's vaccine, but that the benefits of the shot still outweigh the risks.

Why it matters: Johnson & Johnson was set to send 50 million doses of its one-shot coronavirus vaccine to the European Union before it delayed it's European rollout earlier in April "out of an abundance of caution" over rare blood clotting events.

What they're saying: “The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority," Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement.

"We strongly believe in the positive benefits of our single-shot, easily transportable COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the health of people everywhere and reach communities in need globally."

The big picture: The company is still awaiting an expected ruling by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week on whether to lift its pause on the J&J vaccine rollout in the U.S.

Most Americans support the pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and so far there's no evidence that it's leading to broader vaccine hesitancy, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

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Johnson & Johnson to resume COVID vaccine rollout in Europe

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