Fauci predicts J&J vaccine will return this week in ‘some manner or form’

Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, on Sunday said he believed the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine would return this week in “some manner or form” after it was paused due to concerns over a possible link to rare blood clots.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Fauci said he believed administration of the vaccine would “get back on track” by Friday.

Host Dana Bash noted that advisers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are scheduled to meet on Friday and asked Fauci if a decision would be made during that meeting.

“Well, I think by that time we’re gonna have a decision. Now, I don’t want to get ahead of the CDC and the [Food and Drug Administration] and the advisory committee, but I would imagine that what we will see is that it would come back and it would come back in some sort of either warning or restriction,” Fauci said.

“Again, I don’t know. I don’t want to be ahead of them, but I keep getting asked that. I do think we will get it back in some manner or form,” Fauci added. “I hope that we don’t see anything extended beyond Friday. We need to get Friday some decision one way or the other.” 

Administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused last week after officials observed six blood clots out of the nearly 7 million doses that have been administered in the U.S. Many health officials have expressed concerns that pausing the vaccine would fuel vaccine hesitancy.