SA will suspend the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine over blood clot fears, health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday.

Mkhize was speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday night after the US Food and Drug Administration advised a temporarily suspension of its rollout of the J&J vaccine after six women developed “unusual blood clots” within two weeks of receiving the shot.

“We cannot take the decision of the FDA lightly. We've voluntarily suspend the rollout until the causal relationship between the blood clot and the vaccine is sufficiently interrogated,” he said.

Mkhize hoped this would be done within “a few days”.

TimesLIVE