US pauses J&J vaccine in blow to global immunization drive

U.S. health authorities have recommended pausing the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot over blood clot fears, with the company announcing it would delay its European rollout in a setback for global immunization efforts.

Out of nearly seven million Americans who have so far received the single-dose vaccine, six women between age 18 and 48 developed a rare type of clot in the brain, officials said.

One later died, while another is in critical condition.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientist Peter Marks has said the disorder might be triggered by a rare immune response to the vaccine similar to that seen in a few hundred recipients of the AstraZeneca jab in Europe.

"We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe," J&J said.

U.S. authorities are conducting a probe which could result in tough regulatory choices, such as restricting the J&J vaccine to older people.

People who have received the shot within the past three weeks were asked to report to their doctors if they experienced severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath.

The White House said it was confident there would be no "significant impact" on vaccination plans in the world's hardest-hit country, where almost half of all adults have now received at least one dose.

Meanwhile, in Germany, people under the age of 60 who have received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will receive a different jab for their second dose, federal and regional health ministers said.

Germany has suspended distribution of the two-dose vaccine to people under 60 due to concerns over a possible link to rare blood clot cases.

But while J&J paused output, Pfizer said it increased production and...