The big picture: Nearly 7 million doses of the shot have been administered in the U.S., and another 9 million have been shipped out to the states.
- The six women who developed the blood clots were between the ages of 18 and 48, according to the FDA.
- The FDA green-lighted the vaccine for emergency use on Feb. 27. The U.S. will stop administering the vaccine at federal sites and recommends that states do the same.
What they're saying: "Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare," the CDC wrote in a statement with the FDA.
- "Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered."
- "Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given."
What to watch: The agencies will provide a press briefing on Tuesday at 10 a.m., and will convene a meeting on Wednesday to "review these cases and assess their potential significance."
