Experts aren't worried about J&J's vaccine and clusters of bad reactions

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• European regulators are investigating J&J's vaccine over a potential link to blood clots - but experts aren't worried;
• 23andMe CEO explains why the company's still prioritizing consumer-first healthcare;
• Pfizer and BioNTech have asked regulators to make their vaccine available to kids 12 to 15.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it...

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Nurse Elizabeth Johnson administers a COVID-19 vaccine to Melissa Mendez in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle/Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson had a very bad week - but fears of negative reactions and blood clots are likely overblown

• Three US vaccination sites temporarily stopped administering Johnson & Johnson's shot this week.
• The sites reported clusters of adverse reactions, but it's not known whether the shot was the direct cause.
• European regulators are also investigating rare blood clots tied to the vaccine, but experts aren't worried.

Read more about the link between blood clots and COVID-19 vaccines>>

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MAKERS

Despite 23andMe's declining revenue, CEO Anne Wojcicki said she's committed to consumer-first healthcare 'entirely outside the system'

• 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki reaffirmed her commitment to consumer-first healthcare in a HBR Live event.
• The company's recent SPAC filing demonstrated its plans to further develop its core business: direct-to-consumer genetics.
• "Hands down, I just don't want to be in the system," Wojcicki said of the healthcare industry.

Check it out>>

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Justin Tallis - Pool / Getty Images

Pfizer and BioNTech have asked US regulators to make their COVID-19 vaccine available to adolescents ages 12 to 15

• Pfizer and BioNTech have asked for their COVID-19 vaccine to available for adolescents aged 12 to 15.
• The vaccine showed "100 percent efficacy" in trials with adolescents.
• Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have also started vaccine trials in children.

Opening up to adolescents could be key to ending the pandemic>>

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More stories we're reading:

• 13 years later, Google is again exploring a patient health records tool (Stat News)
• See the presentations that hot healthcare and biotech startups used to raise millions from top VCs (Insider)
• Ginkgo Bioworks is exploring going public via SPAC IPO (Bloomberg)
• A COVID-19 expert shares his simple sports analogy to explain why vaccines work against variants (Insider)
• VillageMD is plotting an IPO that could happen in the third quarter (Bloomberg)

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- Lydia

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