There's insufficient evidence of a causal relationship between Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and rare cases of blood clots at this time, scientists from the drugmaker wrote in a letter published in The New England Journal of Medicine April 16. 

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, PhD, said April 15 that people will likely need a third COVID-19 shot six to 12 months after they're fully vaccinated, The Hill reported. 

The risk of getting a rare but serious blood clot from COVID-19 is roughly eight to 10 times higher than the risk of developing a clot from a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a study by the University of Oxford in England, The Wall Street Journal reported April 15. 

Merck has discontinued the development of its treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the drugmaker said April 15.

Medical device and drug recalls, whether voluntary or mandated by the FDA, ensure patient safety. Here are nine reported to the FDA since the end of March:

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has said it does not yet have the information it needs to change federal recommendations for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, CNN reported April 14.

Reports of a rare type of blood clot following vaccination with both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines have emerged in recent weeks, and U.S. health regulators April 13 recommended that the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine be halted while six blood-clotting cases are investigated. 

Moderna said April 13 that its vaccine was more than 90 percent effective six months after the second dose and more than 95 percent effective against severe cases of COVID-19, according to a phase 3 study. 

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, PhD, said April 13 the drugmaker can deliver 10 percent more COVID-19 vaccine doses than agreed upon to the U.S. by the end of May, a total of 220 million doses. 

Walgreens, Uber and PayPal partnered April 12 to launch their new vaccine access fund, an effort to provide rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments for Americans without reliable transportation.

President Joe Biden said April 13 the recommendation made by the CDC and FDA to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine will not negatively affect the country's vaccine supply, CNN reported.

The average annual wage for pharmacists in the U.S. is $125,460, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational employment statistics survey.

As the FDA and CDC have requested the U.S. halt its use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine following six reports of blood clots in people after receiving the shot, states and retail pharmacies are moving quickly to readjust their vaccination strategies. 

The CDC and FDA have recommended the U.S. pause use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine while they review six reports of rare and serious blood clots in people who've received the shot. 

Ten hospitals and health systems posted job listings seeking pharmacy leaders in the last week.

Sanofi is the drugmaker with the best reputation, according to RepTrak's 2021 list of the 100 most reputable companies worldwide.

Side effects of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine seen at vaccination sites in Colorado, North Carolina and Georgia last week are "absolutely trivial" and shouldn't be a cause for concern, experts told Insider April 10. 

Pfizer and BioNTech have requested that the FDA authorize their COVID-19 vaccine for use in people as young as 12 years old. 

Regeneron said April 12 it is requesting the FDA approve its COVID-19 antibody cocktail as a preventive treatment after data from a phase 3 trial showed the drug reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection by 81 percent.

Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare opened a new 3,000-square-foot pharmacy April 9, WTNH-TV reported.