Hiring science communicators and science writers specifically trained to convey this information to the public and have nuanced conversations about it is absolutely essential. But sometimes it feels like a tiny cork trying to stop a waterfall.

For the record, I got the J&J vaccine last week and I would get it again 100 times out of 100.

This is a lose/lose situation when it comes to impact on hesitancy. Either you do not look into this (exceedingly rare) averse event and people ask why you aren't or you do look into it and people ask why you are.

This is a pause button. Right now all we know about these six people (out of millions) is that they are all women. Experts are trying to figure out if there is something else they have in common so they can adjust recommendations for that group.

Once that happens, administration of J&J will resume and it will resume armed with knowledge that makes us all even more safe.

But in the meantime, the unfortunate impact is that the people we need to reach most (poor communities, rural communities, folks who are hesitant) are going to be the ones affected by this.

One final thing worth noting: the U.S. is extremely fortunate to have the manufacturers in house, which is why we can afford to be cautious. Other countries are not as lucky.