Pentagon Halts Usage of COVID-19 Vaccine on Military: Official

A syringe is prepared with COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Montreal, on March 15, 2021. The two provinces hit hardest by COVID-19 are weighing stricter restrictions amid surging case counts, as health officials and politicians urge Canadians to stay home over the upcoming Easter holiday. Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press

The Department of Defense (DOD) said it is halting the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to military members after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the move, citing rare blood clots.

“At the recommendation of the FDA and CDC, the Department of Defense is immediately pausing the use of the J&J vaccine,” DOD press secretary John Kirby said in a statement on Tuesday.