>>> ON TUESDAY, THE CDC AND FDA
RECOMMENDED A PAUSE IN THE USE OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON'S SINGLE
SHOT COVID VACCINE. THE GUIDANCE CAME AFTER SIX
CASES OF RARE AND SEVERE BLOOD CLOTTING WERE REPORTED AMONG THE
NEARLY 7 MILLION DOSES OF THE JN JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE
ADMINISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES.
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS SCRAMBLED TO DEFEND THE MOVE AS
CONCERNS GROW THE RED FLAG WILL MAKE MORE AMERICANS SKEPTICAL
ABOUT EVER GETTING A VACCINE. DR. JOHN TORRES HAS MORE IN OUR
SUNDAY FOCUS. >> Reporter: THIS MORNING, THE
JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE STILL ON PAUSE AS AN INDEPENDENT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO INVESTIGATE A RARE SIDE EFFECT,
CEREBRAL VENOUS SINUS THROMBOSIS OR CVST.
THE RARE BLOOD CLOT IN THE BRAIN FOUND IN SIX WOMEN BETWEEN THE
AGES OF 18 AND 48 WHO HAD THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON SHOT.
WHILE THE BLOOD CLOTS ARE DANGEROUS, CHANCES OF GETTING A
BLOOD CLOT FROM COVID IS GREATER.
EXPERTS ARE URGING THE U.S. POPULATION TO GET THE MODERNA OR
PFIZER VACCINES. >> THERE HAVE BEEN SIX OUT OF
THE 6.85 MILLION DOSES, WHICH IS LESS THAN ONE IN A MILLION.
THE FACT THAT A PAUSE WAS DONE I THINK JUST IS A TESTIMONY TO HOW
SERIOUSLY WE TAKE SAFETY. >> Reporter: BEFORE MAKING ANY
DETERMINATION ON THE VACCINE, THE PANEL OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS
WILL FIRST INVESTIGATE THE BLOOD CLOT CASES TO SEE IF THERE ARE
ANY COMMON DENOMINATORS. >> FOR PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED THE
VACCINE RECENTLY, MEANING WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THEY SHOULD
BE AWARE OF THEIR SYMPTOMS AND IMMEDIATELY SEEK MEDICAL
ASSISTANCE. >> Reporter: THEY CAN INCLUDE
HEADACHE, SHORTNESS OF BREATH OR PAIN IN YOUR LEGS OR STOMACH.
>> THEY ARE BEING TOLD WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE.
THE VACCINES WE ARE RECOMMENDING ARE SAFE, THEY ARE EFFECTIVE.
>> Reporter: DESPITE REASSURANCE FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS, THE
LATEST NEWS HAS ONLY FUELS A WAVE OF MISINFORMATION ON THE
SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF THE COVID VACCINES, WHICH REMAIN A HIGHLY
POLITICIZED ISSUE. TESTIFYING BEFORE THE HOUSE
THURSDAY, DR. FAUCI GRILLED BY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JIM
JORDAN IN A HEATED DISCUSSION. >> YOU ARE INDICATING LIBERTY
AND FREEDOM. I LOOK AT IT AS A PUBLIC HEALTH
MEASURE TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DYING.
>> THEY HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED. THEIR LIBERTIES HAVE.
>> I DON'T LOOK AT THIS AS A LIBERTY THING.
>> THAT'S OBVIOUS. >> Reporter: TWO POLLS RELEASED
BOTH FOUND 45% OF REPUBLICANS ARE DETERMINED NOT TO GET
VACCINATED. CREATING CONCERN IN THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY THAT VACCINE HESITANCY COULD IMPACT THE U.S. REACHING
HERD IMMUNITY. THE LEVEL AT WHICH WE CAN PULL
BACK ON SOME OF THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS.
THE GOOD NEWS, THE U.S. IS ADMINISTERING 3 TO 4 MILLION
DOSES PER DAY. OFFICIALS ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
THE CONTINUED ROLLOUT. >> WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH
PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINE SUPPLY TO CONTINUE OR ACCELERATE
THE CURRENT PACE OF VACCINATIONS.
>> Reporter: NEARLY HALF OF AMERICAN ADULTS HAVE RECEIVED
ONE SHOT OF THE VACCINE. MORE THAN 30% ARE FULLY
VACCINATED. ALTHOUGH THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON
VACCINE MAKES UP 5% OF SHOTS IN THE U.S., IT IS LARGELY FAVORED
WORLDWIDE. EXPERTS WORRY THE LATEST NEWS
COULD CAUSE A RIPPLE AFFECT AROUND THE GLOBE.
>> DR. TORRES JOINS ME LIVE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HOW DO PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS BALANCE THE TWO CONSIDERATIONS?
ON THE ONE HAND, THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE AND ON THE OTHER THE
TRUST IN THE VACCINE, MAKING SURE THEY AREN'T SCARING PEOPLE
OFF FROM GETTING THE SHOT. >> THAT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL
MOVING FORWARD. THE FDA, GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS NEED TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT THESE ARE ONE
IN A MILLION CASES, IF AT ALL CONNECTED TO THE VACCINE.
THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT WHEN THE FDA RESTARTS THE JOHNSON &
JOHNSON VACCINE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ADDRESS THAT VACCINE
HESITANCY ISSUE. GOING FORWARD, THIS IS GOING TO
BECOME IMPORTANT. BOOSTER SHOTS ARE GOING TO COME
INTO PLAY. PFIZER IS SAYING IT LOOKS LIKE
WE NEED THEM AT 12 MONTHS. MODERNA IS LOOKING AT A
COMBINATION OF FLU AND CO-VITD V
-- CVID VACCINE. >> WE WILL LIKELY NEED A BOOSTER
DOWN THE ROAD. DR. JOHN TORRES, THANKS.
DR. JOHN TORRES, THANKS. DR. TORRES HAS A GREAT NEW BOOK