Fauci Expects Resumption Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Shots In US Within Week

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2021) The temporary ban on the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in the United States will likely be lifted by Friday, US top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci predicts.

"My estimate is that we will continue to use it in some form. I doubt very seriously if they just cancel it. I don't think that's going to happen. I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment," Fauci told US talk shows on Sunday, adding that "hopefully by Friday we'll know."

The use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused earlier this month after six cases of blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets were confirmed in women between the ages of 18 and 48. The symptoms occurred between 6-13 days after vaccination.

According to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, the decision to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine in the US should not significantly impact the Biden administration's vaccination plan.

In late January, US President Joe Biden vowed that the country would administer 100 million coronavirus vaccines within his first 100 days in office. In March, he set a new goal of 200 million shots within his first 100 days.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Sunday that in total, 131,247,546 people in the US, or about 39.5 percent of the population, have received at least one vaccine dose, while 84,263,408 (over 25 percent of the total population) have been fully vaccinated.