| The decision by U.S. health officials to pause the administration of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine as it looks into reports of a rare and potentially fatal side effect is alarming. But it may also be the best way to put people at ease about the wider immunization effort. Through Monday, nearly 7 million people in the U.S. had received the J&J vaccine. Only six have been reported to have developed the blood-clotting disorder that led to the pause, and only one person so far has died. Given the relatively small number of cases, the sidelining of the single-dose shot until there's a better understanding of what is causing the clotting complications is an indication of how seriously regulators are taking possible problems with vaccines.  Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines Photographer: David Zalubowski/AP Photo There's a risk that tapping the brakes will make people who were already reluctant to get vaccinated even more unsure about whether to roll up their sleeves. Yet the risk of allowing shots to go on while there are unanswered safety questions may be incalculably larger. For one, regulators need to determine whether guidance about who should receive the shot should be refined, to lower potential risks. Further, failing to act on clear signs of trouble could call into question how focused officials are on vaccine safety more broadly. As much as regulators must protect the public against a possible problem with one shot, it is also important to maintain confidence in the broader immunization program. Vaccine skeptics could pounce on any hint that dangerous side effects aren't being taken seriously. Virus variants causing new waves of infection in places like Michigan and the Northeast give the government little margin for error. The country is in a race to get as many shots into arms as it can before a mutated virus again leads to strained hospitals and the need to dial back business and social interaction. Acting now could save much pain later.—Tim Annett | 
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