Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine shots resume in US while trust drops

WASHINGTON -- US states have resumed administering the one-shot Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine after federal agencies lifted a pause, but public trust in the vaccine has been hindered.

The US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced their decision to lift the pause regarding the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine last Friday, allowing its resumed use for adults.

They said following a thorough safety review, they found the shot's known and potential benefits "outweigh" its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The pause was recommended on April 13 after reports of six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"We are no longer recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. "Based on the in-depth analysis, there is likely an association but the risk is very low."

Several states have resumed giving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. As part of the US Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, chains CVS and Walgreens will resume administering the vaccine this week.

But a latest poll showed public trust has been hindered by the pause.

Fewer than half of Americans considered the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as safe and barely more than a fifth of those not yet vaccinated would be willing to take the vaccine, according to the poll of ABC News/Washington Post.

About 46 percent of interviewees think the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is very or somewhat safe, compared with more than 7 in 10 for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, according to the poll results released on Monday.

About 73 percent of those not yet vaccinated said they were unwilling to receive Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot.

Vaccine hesitancy in the United States remains substantial, according to the poll. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans, 24 percent, are disinclined to get any of the coronavirus vaccines.

About 230 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered across the country as of Monday, while more than 290 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed, CDC data showed.

Currently, there are over 95 million Americans fully vaccinated, accounting for 28.9 percent of the US population, according to CDC data.

About 140 million Americans received at lease one COVID-19 shot, accounting for 42.5 percent of the population.

Among the fully vaccinated, 37 million are people 65 years of age or older, accounting for 67.7 percent, CDC data showed.

Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use in the United States in late February. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine that has received FDA's authorization, also the first single dose COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States.