 | By Anisa Arsenault, Associate Editorial Director | | | If you haven't gotten a booster shot ahead of the holidays, this is my final attempt at imploring you to do so. With that in mind, we have some updates regarding which brand you should get. | | | Today's Top Story | | CDC Recommends Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines Over Johnson & Johnson |  | Last week, the CDC officially recommended the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson shot, citing concerns about the risk of rare but life-threatening blood clots.
The J&J vaccine, which is simpler to store and transport, is still available for people "who are unable or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine," the agency said.
The reason? The CDC has identified 54 documented cases of a blood clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in J&J vaccine recipients.
Since roughly 16 million Americans have received a J&J vaccine, the risk of TTS from a vaccine is extremely low; the odds are less than 1 in a million. But now that "the U.S. supply of mRNA vaccines is abundant," as the CDC put it, there's no reason for people not to play it safe and opt for Pfizer or Moderna.
This isn't just a J&J problem—it's an adenovirus vector vaccine problem. The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is also built from a modified version of an adenovirus (a strain of the common cold), has been linked to the same complication in other countries. | | Know More | | Based on the documented cases of TTS, it seems more likely to affect women under 50. Symptoms occur within three weeks of vaccination, and include things like pain and swelling in an extremity, chest pain, numbness or weakness on one side of the body, or sudden change in mental status. | | Feel Better | | TTS is treatable. But because of the "thrombocytopenia" component, which results in low levels of blood platelets, common blood clot medication like Heparin could actually make it worse. Healthcare providers have learned that other blood thinners, like bivalirudin or argatroban, can be used instead. | | |  | | Here's a look at when those 54 cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome appeared in the days after J&J vaccination. |  |  | | FDA Permanently Allows Mail Order Abortion Pills | | The FDA has permanently removed the requirement for patients to pick up abortion medication in-person. Previously, the requirement had only temporarily been lifted because of the pandemic. Now, the pill, called Mifeprex, can be sent via mail. At a time when abortion rights are in peril, some OB-GYNs say this is one small win when it comes to making abortion access easier and safer. | | | | Moderna's Booster Protects Against Omicron | | The original two-dose regimen of the Moderna COVID vaccine might not fare well against Omicron, but preliminary findings suggest a booster offers significant projection. Moderna tested the currently-authorized 50 microgram dose of its booster against an Omicron pseudovirus, finding it increased antibody levels 37-fold against Omicron. While nothing is changing for booster doses right now, the company is gearing up for a variant-specific vaccine if needed. | | | | | | | In Other News | | | ■ | Why Omicron Could Bring the Deadliest Phase in the Pandemic Yet. Vox | | | | | ■ | Paul Rudd Hosts a Year-End 'S.N.L.' Disrupted by the Omicron Variant. The New York Times | | | | | ■ | More States to Provide Free Home COVID Test Kits. Pew | | | | | | | |  |     | You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.
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