Pause on J&J Covid Vaccine Signals U.S. Safety System Is Working

U.S. officials’ call to pause use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine is reasonable and a sign the government’s safety monitoring system is working, health professionals say.

The pandemic has given the general public a taste of the rigorous and cautious processes used to develop and test medications. It’s also shone a light on the sometimes messy aspects of science when it moves at a fast pace—things change quickly as more and more data is collected.

“While a pause may appear surprising, it is actually a sign that the surveillance process and monitoring of these events, which is routine for ...