Johnson & Johnson Shot's Future Depends On 15 Cautious Vaccine Experts

Europe's drug regulator said Tuesday that the benefits of J&J's vaccine outweigh the risks of a possible link to the clots, intensifying the spotlight on the U.S. advisers.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are under pressure to decide whether the U.S. can resume use of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, perhaps with some limits, 10 days into a pause on using it. Members of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will reconvene Friday to decide whether they have enough data to say who should -- or shouldn't -- receive J&J's shot. Options include a full resumption, restrictions by age or gender, or extending the pause. Wilbur Chen, a voting member of the committee and a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said he would like to see the vaccine used. "I don't want to have it sit on the shelf for any longer," Chen said in an interview.