Latest on the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant – CNN

The US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions vaccine advisers will meet on Thursday to revisit the benefits and risks for the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to vote on the vaccines recommendation for use.

According to an agenda posted online on Wednesday, the group will hear presentations about thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome known as TTS a rare but serious type of blood clot that has been linked to the vaccine, as well as the benefits and risks assessment of the vaccine.

The CDC has said for months that the J&J vaccines known and potential benefits outweighed the known and potential risks. However, it says, women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare but increased risk of TTS, which involves blood clots with low platelets. Safety monitoring has been ongoing since the adverse event was first identified in April.

The advisory committee is scheduled to meet from noon to 4 p.m. ET Thursday. It is scheduled to vote at 2:30 p.m. ET. Its not clear what the voting question will be.

The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized for use in people age 18 and older, and can be used as a booster shot for adults fully vaccinated with the J&J, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The vaccine advisers will also hear a presentation on vaccine safety in children ages 5 to 11.

During a White House Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky did not say why the committee was meeting about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or whether she believes the benefits of the vaccine still outweigh the risks.

A source close to the situation told CNN the CDC has been "coy" about what the vote will be about, but it mayinvolvelimiting who's recommended to get the vaccine.

"I think a fair amount of the discussion will be about J&J do we need to use this one at all since we have so much of the others, or, if it's used, should it be focused on certain populations?" the source said. "J&J hasn't lived up to its billing as one and done."

"We could just take J&J off the table and do fine in this country," the source said.

The source added that its possible the CDC could recommend against the use of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine in women under age 50. While women 30-49 have seen the highest rates of the TTS blood clot, the source noted that it has also occurred in older women and in men.

J&J did not address the ACIP meeting in a response to CNN on Wednesday. It acknowledged that the US Food and Drug Administration updated its fact sheets for the vaccine on Tuesday to say people with a history of TTS should not get the Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Covid-19 vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson said "the safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority" and that it "strongly support raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of this rare event."

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Latest on the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant - CNN