In case you didn’t know, vaccines are all the rage right now…unless you’re a man, apparently. Not only are women outpacing men in getting the coronavirus vaccine, but a recent study shows that fewer adult men are opting for the HPV vaccine as well.

According to Michigan Medicine researchers, using data from National Health Interview Surveys spanning 2010 to 2018, just 16% of men aged 18 to 21 had received even one dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Looking at the same age bracket in women, the rate is much higher at 42%. 

At the time the HPV vaccine was approved for women in 2006, preventing cervical cancer was the primary focus. As a result, people were more likely to be told about the series of inoculations by their pediatricians or OB-GYNs. It wasn’t until 2009 that the vaccine efforts were expanded to people with male reproductive organs. Of the nearly 200 different strains of HPV, only nine are known to cause cancers and another six are suspected of causing cancer. Most are harmless.

About 10% of men and 3.6% of women have oral HPV, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the United States, HPV is thought to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancers, which occur in the throat, tonsils, and back of the tongue. And while cervical cancer is more commonly associated with HPV, oropharyngeal cancer has now surpassed it as the leading cancer caused by HPV. Of those diagnosed, 80% are men.

So, why are considerably fewer men being proactive about their health and getting the vaccine? Some medical professionals believe it, in part, comes down to education.

“18-to-21-year-olds are at this age where they’re making healthcare decisions on their own for the first time,” Michelle M. Chen, MD, a clinical lecturer in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan and author of the study, said of the findings. “They’re in a period of a lot of transition, but young adult men especially, who are less likely to have a primary care doctor, are often not getting health education about things like cancer-prevention vaccines.”

There are still benefits if you receive the vaccine before age 26, although the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends getting it as young as 11 or 12 because recipients are less likely to have already been exposed to the virus. After 26, research shows that the benefits of receiving the vaccine are lower because exposure rates are so high. 

“I don’t think that a lot of people, both providers and patients, are aware that this vaccine is actually a cancer-prevention vaccine for men as well as women,” says Chen. “But HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer can impact anyone — and there’s no good screening for it, which makes vaccination even more important.”

According to the CDC, there is no HPV test for men. And, there are often few if any symptoms should a person contract it. As Chen said, it is important to see it as a preventative treatment against cancer — something that should be encouraged for all genders.

So, I ask you this, to quote a nearly extinct meme: Fellas, is it gay to be immune from HPV?

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A New HIV Vaccine Is Getting Promising Results

No, The COVID Vaccine Won't Give You Herpes

Can I Drink Or Smoke Weed After Getting Vaccinated

Staff at a Miami private school are facing a threat to their employment if they choose to get a coronavirus vaccine. One of the school’s co-founders informed staff “with a very heavy heart” — citing false information — that if they get vaccinated, they will not be welcome in classrooms or around students.

“We cannot allow recently vaccinated people to be near our students until more information is known,” said Centner Academy co-founder Leila Centner in a letter sent to staff. In the letter, Centner referred to the vaccine as “experimental.” She then gave employees an ultimatum: Inform the school if they’ve already been vaccinated so they could be kept distanced from students, or wait until the end of the school year to get inoculated. “If you want to get the vaccine, please wait until the school year ends and you will not be able to return to school until clinical trials are complete,” the letter reads, “(If a position is still available at that time).”

Centner is also requiring faculty and staff to fill out a “confidential” form revealing whether they have already received the vaccine or intend to get it. In the form is a caveat: Employees must “acknowledge the school will take legal measures needed to protect the students if it is determined that I have not answered these questions accurately.”

But what is perhaps most concerning is that in her letter to staff, Centner cited disproven information to justify the school’s new policy, suggesting that “reports have surfaced recently of non-vaccinated people being negatively impacted by interacting with people who have been vaccinated.” In a follow-up letter on Monday, Centner claimed that the coronavirus vaccine has a negative impact on fertility and menstruation, writing that vaccinated individuals “may be transmitting something” to unvaccinated people. “Even among our own population, we have at least three women with menstrual cycles impacted after having spent time with a vaccinated person,” Centner wrote. 

Centner doubled down on this in a statement to Refinery29. “Anecdotally, tens of thousands of women all over the world have recently been reporting adverse reproductive issues simply from being in close proximity with those who have received any one of the COVID-19 injections, e.g., irregular menses, bleeding, miscarriages, post-menopausal hemorrhaging, and amenorrhea (complete loss of menstruation),” she wrote.

More than 140 million people in the U.S. have received one of the coronavirus vaccines, reports The New York Times. At present, none of the approved COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. have been linked to infertility, miscarriages, or any other adverse effects on women’s reproductive health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages pregnant people to get the vaccine after observing “no safety concerns” among 35,000 women who were vaccinated during their third trimester.

This anti-vaccination stance is reportedly not unusual for the Centner Academy and its founders. Support for “medical freedom from mandated vaccines” is prominently advertised on the Academy’s website. The school has also posted guidance to help parents file for exemptions to other state-required vaccinations. 

Co-founders David and Leila Centner identify themselves as “health freedom advocates.” Both donated heavily to the Republican Party and the Trump reelection campaign, reports The Times. In January, they invited prominent anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to speak at the school, which returned to in-person teaching back in September.

As educators, these two are directly harming their staff and the people who attend their school. This is a prime example of just how pervasive vaccine misinformation can be — and the real-life consequences that come with it.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Tucker Carlson Calls Kids Wearing Face Masks Abuse

Republican Men Are Refusing The COVID Vaccine

How Clubhouse Became A Haven For Anti-Vaxxers

An exciting new product innovation will soon be hitting the market: Degree just released the world’s first “adaptive deodorant,” Degree Inclusive, specifically designed for people living with visual and motor disabilities.

One in four Americans lives with a disability, yet products are still largely manufactured without considering the needs of the community. The deodorant — which was developed through consulting people living with disabilities, occupational therapists, engineers, and expert consultants around the world — was created with the goal of making application easier and more accessible for those living with mobility limitations or a visual impairment.

Unilever, Degree’s parent company, started its engineering process by considering the various challenges people with disabilities face when using a traditional stick deodorant, then reimagining the design. “Degree Inclusive challenges what a deodorant product should be,” explains Aline Santos Farhat, EVP of Global Marketing and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Unilever. “It’s a breakthrough, accessible design that genuinely serves the needs of people with disabilities.”

The Degree Inclusive deodorant features a number of innovative ergonomic details: a hooked handle for one-handed use, magnetic closures to make it easier to remove and replace the cap, enhanced grip placement, a braille label for users with vision impairment, and a larger roll-on applicator, which means fewer swipes are needed. Prior to launch, the product was beta tested in partnership with The Chicago Lighthouse, Open Style Lab, and Muscular Dystrophy Association. Degree invited 200 people with disabilities to test out the deodorant and give their honest feedback to make sure no consideration was forgotten.

While undeniably a step in the right direction, Degree Inclusive shows that the beauty industry still has a ways to go in terms of inclusivity. The offerings have improved in recent years, thanks to brands like Fenty Beauty, which popularized an expansive range of skin-tone shades; Dove, which has thrown its support behind the CROWN Act; and independent brands, like Billie, making waves in the acne positivity and body-hair space. However, while all of those moves are extremely important, people with disabilities have largely been left out of the conversation. We look forward to seeing how the field evolves, with more major companies, like Unilever, thinking about product engineering for all.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Zoom In On Andra Day's Stunning Oscars Beauty Look

Ana de Armas Shares Her "Easygoing" Beauty Routine

Rachel Rabbit White Shares Beauty Tips & Routine

Best Actor nominee Steven Yeun attended last night’s Academy Awards ceremony wearing a classic tuxedo and taking inspiration from a classic Asian film for his glam. The Minari actor made history as the first Asian American to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor — and his dapper hairstyle pays tribute to his heritage.

According to hairdresser Anh Co Tran, who is responsible for creating Yeun’s Oscars style, the hair takes direct inspiration from Wong Kar-wai’s romantic drama In The Mood For Love, specifically the starring character of Chow Mo-wan, portrayed by Tony Leung. It’s a fitting homage as both Yeun and Leung received critical acclaim for their roles, Yeun with an Oscar nomination and Leung earning a Best Actor award at Cannes. In The Mood For Love, which came out in 2000, is set in British Hong Kong in 1962, which totally explains why the hair has such a timeless, throwback feel to it. 

Tran completed the look with the help of Dyson hot tools and a few sculpting products by Milbon. To prep, he applied a Weightless Replenishing Mist and a single pump of Luminous Softening Oil all over Yeun’s hair to provide the key combination of moisture and heat protection. Next, he roughly dried his hair halfway using Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer. Once partially dried, Tran added the concentrator nozzle to smooth and straighten Yeun’s hair up and away from his face. After creating this base, he took the Corrale straightener to smooth just the ends of Yeun’s hair. He styled the dry hair with Milbon’s Wave Enhancing Mousse, Molding Wax, and a small amount of Wet Shine Gel Cream to provide both texture and shine. Finally, to make sure that Yeun’s hair stayed perfectly-coiffed through the evening, Tran set it with Strong Hold Hairspray.

Here’s hoping Yeun’s debonair hairstyle is the start of many ’60s throwback styles to come. After all, they are timeless for a reason.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Oscar For Best Makeup & Hairstyling Made History

Margot Robbie Debuts New Bangs At The Oscars

Short-Haired Halle Berry Is Back!

Hailey Bieber, who’s never been shy about doling out beauty tips, just shared an in-depth list of the skin-care products she’s currently using every night before going to bed. In the video posted on her new YouTube channel, the model tells us the most effective skin-care step she picked up during quarantine, what she does when she’s breaking out, and why looking like a glazed donut is the ultimate aspiration for hydrated skin.

Bieber has relatable skin concerns: sensitivity and dryness with the occasional pimple or two. Her entire routine focuses on gentle products, intense hydration, and the pursuit of that elusive glow. As far as celebrity skin-care routines go, Bieber’s sits in the decently affordable column, though not without its splurge picks. In total, if you decided to go out and purchase every product she used — which she conveniently listed in her video description — all eight would run you about $470.

Before calling it a night, the first thing Bieber does is wash her face — in fact, she double cleanses, a practice she picked up during lockdown. “I’m going to start with an oil cleanser, because I have a lot of makeup on and I don’t use makeup wipes,” she says, removing her makeup with Mara Beauty Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil, which retails for about $58. “It’s honestly made the biggest difference in my skin.” Bieber follows up the initial cleanse with HoliFrog Tashmoo Water Lily Nourishing Milky Wash ($38), revealing that she tends to avoid overly foaming cleansers in favor of more milky ones to avoid drying out her skin.

Next, Bieber followed up with one of the more expensive items in her routine, the Biba Los Angeles Plant Stem Cell Peptide Serum. “I think it’s one of the best things you can put on your skin,” she said, massaging and patting the serum into her face. Bieber followed up with the brand’s Cream Barrier moisturizer while her skin was still a bit damp. “Find yourself a moisturizer that helps you look like a glazed donut at the end of the day,” she said. (The Biba products retail for $85 and $95, respectively.) Then, because the model has drier skin, she tops the moisturizer with Furtuna Skin Due Alberi Biphase Moisturizing Oil, the priciest product in her arsenal at $128.

Bieber’s nightly routine focuses on catering to skin in need of some extra moisture, but the doesn’t mean that she doesn’t spot treat her pimples. Using a prescription treatment from her dermatologist, Bieber dabs the tiniest amount on a couple of spots before covering them with Star Face Pimple Stickers. “They totally help heal a pimple… and they look cute,” she said of the bright-yellow star acne patches, which are $14.99 per pack.

Last but not least, the model finishes off her evening routine with the relatively affordable bareMinerals Ageless Phyto-Retinol Eye Cream, dabbing it both under her eye and on her lids. The last product is hands-down the most budget-friendly at right around five dollars: the Aquaphor Healing Ointment, which she “legitimately cannot go to bed without” using as a lip balm.

In the end, Bieber achieves her glazed-donut goals — and we have eight product recommendations to seriously consider.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

How To Spring Clean Your Skin-Care Routine

We Spoke To The Pros About Estrogen-Deficient Skin

Luxury Skin-Care Gifts To Send Your Mom

Maude Apatow is a brunette no longer. The actress recently went from a warm, golden brown to fiery red — and the transformation is next level.

Apatow first revealed her new look on Instagram last week in a promotional ad for Ferragamo heels. However, fans really took notice two days later, when the actress posted a gallery of sun-soaked portraits where her glossy red hair was front and center, captioning it only with a fitting flower and sparkle emoji. The fresh hair color is a vibrant shade of red with what appears to be a mix of chunky, face-framing highlights that add an element of shine. 

For the redhead transformation, Apatow credits New York City-based colorist Jenna Perry, whose other celebrity clients which include Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa. Perry, a redhead herself, is a seasoned pro when it comes to taking dark hair to a warm red — and Apatow’s hair could not look healthier.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maude Apatow (@maudeapatow)

While we’ve never seen Apatow with hair like this, we can’t help but wonder why the red feels eerily familiar. And then it hit us: Her new look totally reminds us of her mom, actress Leslie Mann who showed her total support of the transformation by commenting heart eyes on her daughter’s Instagram post. 

Based on past interviews, it seems like Mann encourages both her daughters to have fun with their hair and makeup. That is, so long as they don’t overpluck their eyebrows, a regret she has from personal experience. But other than that, it seems like anything is game in hair and makeup.

Between Apatow’s new hair and the gorgeous, floral dress she wore in the photo, we are feeling major spring fever.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

I Dyed My Hair "Bridal Blonde" For A COVID Wedding

I Tried Olaplex No.8 & The Results Are Incredible

The Product You Need To Repair Damaged Hair

As millions of people get vaccinated every day, there have been innumerable conspiracy theories about the coronavirus vaccine itself. Some are seemingly innocuous — often coming from fringe “health experts” on platforms like Clubhouse — while others, like this latest one published in the New York Post, are causing escalated concerns. Specifically, the Post ran an article that led many to question: Can the COVID-19 vaccine give you herpes?

According to the article published this morning, scientists in Israel allegedly identified six cases of patients developing a skin rash known as herpes zoster, also known as shingles, after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. For my fellow hypochondriacs, let’s get this out of the way early on: this is not HSV-1, which causes cold sores, and it’s not HSV-2, which is usually responsible for genital herpes — not that there is anything wrong or uncommon with either of those. But this is America, and just the word herpes strikes fear in anyone reading it because, as a society, we have an obsessive fixation around the stigma that they carry. 

But let’s back up to the vaccine herpes study. For context, these results were out of a study involving 491 patients which makes six people about 1.2% of those observed. “We cannot say the vaccine is the cause at this point,” Dr. Victoria Furer, the lead author of the study told the Jerusalem Post. And, according to the study, each person who experienced this reaction had preexisting mild cases of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases. 

“This is a signal that deserves attention. There is biological plausibility and it needs to be studied more,” Amesh Adalja, MD, and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told Refinery29. “But what I object to is the headline. People don’t know that it’s herpes zoster. Chickenpox is a herpes virus. It’s a viral family.” It’s our clickbait culture, Adalja says, that promotes this type of headline, rather than saying outright that it was shingles. Herpes may be a buzzword, but the majority of people are unaware that shingles, chickenpox, and even mononucleosis are all under the herpes category.

At present, it is unclear what caused these patients to experience shingles, but it appears to be triggered, at least in part, by a decrease in immunity, reports WebMD. Outbreaks of shingles have often been linked to stress, stressful life events, and depressive symptoms, all of which have become increasingly prevalent during the pandemic.

“Other than the people who had serious prior allergic reactions, to date, no other incidents of other medical events that exceed the normal background rate of those events in the community have been found,” William Schaffner, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center told WebMD, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Shingles occurs when the varicella-zoster virus, the same one that causes chickenpox, is reactivated after lying dormant in the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Anyone who has had chickenpox is technically at risk for developing shingles. The CDC estimates that more than 99% of Americans born before 1980 have had chickenpox, which means a lot of people are at risk of getting shingles regardless of the coronavirus vaccine. 

But this didn’t stop the conspiracy that vaccines were causing shingles from growing online. “Read the article and see what it says and not the headline alone. Think about the fact that not everything that happens after a vaccine is caused by the vaccine,” Adalja said. “They’re talking about six cases post-vaccine out of how many? What’s the denominator? Also, people should think about whether they are even at risk for shingles. Many people have been vaccinated against shingles and chickenpox. That’s important to remember as well.”

While studying anomalies and documenting everything in the name of posterity and research is important, it is imperative that we put forward our best critical thinking as well. Using an alarming headline during a pandemic by tapping into a stigmatized fear many have is irresponsible. That’s why it’s important to read everything before, let’s say, tweeting about vaccines giving you herpes.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

QAnon Has Theories About Ivanka Trump's Vaccine

Your COVID Vaccine Side Effect Questions, Answered

Birth Control Blood Clots Deserve More Attention

In a recent Vogue Beauty Secrets video, actress Nicola Peltz explains an unconventional piece of jewelry she wears so she has a piece of her fiancé wherever she goes. 

Approximately three minutes into the beauty tutorial, somewhere between recommending her all-time favorite sunscreen and why she swears by Dior’s Forever Skin Glow Foundation, Peltz showed off a mysterious, golden pendant necklace. “If you guys are wondering what this is…It’s so weird, but this is Brooklyn’s wisdom tooth,” the actress reveals.

She credited Los Angeles-based fine jeweler Anita Ko for taking Beckham’s recently-extracted molar and turning it into the gold-plated piece Peltz now wears around her neck.

Peltz goes on to explain that she got the idea from her mom. When the actress had her own wisdom teeth removed a few years ago, her mom had one made into a pendant necklace, which she then gave to Beckham. “So I did the same for him,” Peltz explains. “He wears mine and I wear his.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝓃𝒾𝒸𝑜𝓁𝒶 (@nicolaannepeltz)

In the rest of her Vogue tutorial, Peltz shares some of her favorite, go-to beauty products, including many Victoria Beckham Beauty picks, her future mother-in-law. But we can’t stop thinking about her golden-tooth charm necklace. It just goes to show that with most of our favorite pieces of jewelry, there’s often some sort of sweet, sentimental value attached. In this case, like an impacted wisdom tooth, the meaning is deeply rooted.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Best Mom's Day Beauty Gifts To Buy On Amazon

17 Beauty Gift Sets Your Mom Will Love

6 Beauty Products Blowing Up On TikTok

As millions of people are getting coronavirus vaccinations every day, concerns have arisen around more severe side effects beyond the very common fatigue, aches, and injection-site pain. Most medical concerns have been debunked, but there is a side effect emerging that could easily — and needlessly — worry anyone getting a mammogram.

According to research conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, doctors are observing a sudden increase in mammograms showing swollen lymph nodes under the arm, which can be indicative of breast cancer. To be clear: This doesn’t mean that the vaccine is causing an increase in breast cancer; it is a side effect that, in this instance, is a sign of an immune response to the coronavirus vaccine, but in other cases, also happens to be a sign of potential breast cancer. Think about it like a dry cough — could be COVID-19, but it could also be your allergies acting up. 

Apparently, swollen lymph nodes are a common response by the body. “Swollen lymph nodes can be a response to many different vaccines, including the COVID vaccine,” board-certified OB-GYN Kelly Culwell, MD, also known as “Dr. Lady Doctor,” told Refinery29. “It is a sign of your immune system kicking into gear to produce antibodies in response to the vaccine.”

Lymph nodes play a vital role in your body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. They trap and filter viruses, bacteria, and other causes of illness before they can infect other parts of your body. Your body has lymph nodes in multiple areas including your neck, your armpits, and your groin, which is all part of a larger immune system response — exactly what vaccines, COVID-19 and otherwise, try to elicit. According to the Mayo Clinic, swollen lymph nodes are rarely a sign that you may have cancer. 

“Any vaccine that produces a robust immune response may cause temporary swelling of the nodes. In my opinion, it has not been mentioned so much since we have not performed vaccines on this scale ever in history. With so many people getting vaccinated, you will hear of more effects all at once,” Nicole Williams, MD, gynecologic surgeon and founder of The Gynecology Institute of Chicago, told Refinery29.

Because the vaccine is injected into the upper arm, the lymph nodes nearest the injection site commonly swell, but since they are the nodes closer to the breasts, it makes sense that doctors would want to check it out further. The problem is that this side effect isn’t listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: The only ones listed are pain, swelling, and redness in the arm where you received the vaccine, as well as fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

“As more people get vaccinated, it’s important to allay fears and avoid unnecessary testing or treatment for conditions that should quickly resolve,” said Brita Roy, MD, an internal medicine physician and director of population health for Yale Medicine. 

The organization shared on its website that swollen lymph nodes, as well as skin reactions near the injection site, have only been found in those who received either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines — both of which use the technology called mRNA. So far, there have not been reports of these symptoms in people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. According to The New York Times, Moderna’s study showed that 11.6% of patients reported swollen lymph nodes after the first dose, and 16% reported the symptom after the second dose. Pfizer-BioNTech recipients reported lower incidences, with only 0.3% of people saying they experienced swollen lymph nodes. It was a recognized side effect in large trials of both vaccines.

So, should you reschedule your mammogram? Depends on who you ask. Dr. Roy says that swollen lymph nodes from the vaccine have been shown to disappear within a few days, but for some people, they can feel a little tender for up to 10 days. On imaging tests, they may be visible for up to a month. She advises people to still keep their mammogram appointments rather than delay, but be aware that the radiologist could ask you to come back one month later for a reexamination should something come up on the scan.

Dr. Culwell says it really depends on each individual. If it is a typical annual exam, she says experts are recommending that you either go before your first dose or wait six weeks after your second injection. “However, for some people, this would not be possible,” Dr. Culwell explained. “For instance, those that are being monitored closely for cancer recurrence during treatment. In those cases, informing the technician and radiologist of the recent vaccination would be important.”

Dr. Williams advises delaying your mammogram if possible so that you’re at least several days post-vaccination to allow for any possible swelling to go down. And if you’re still in doubt about anything? As always, talk to your doctor so that you can make the most informed decision.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

What Will Happen To You J&J Vaccine Appointment

Pfizer vs Moderna Memes: Vaccine Elitism Is A Joke

A New HIV Vaccine Is Getting Promising Results

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended that the United States pause its use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine after multiple instances of “rare and severe” blood clotting were reported. 

There were six reported cases of blood clots; to compare, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the United States, making this an incredibly rare reaction. But because we’re dealing with new vaccines and a novel virus, health officials are being extremely cautious, and have concluded that it’s best to stop vaccinating people with the one-shot vaccine for now. Which might leave people who had an appointment to receive the J&J jab wondering: What now?

I have a J&J appointment in an hour, and if I don’t get a vaccine because 6 people out of 6 million got blood clots after I was allowed — nay, encouraged — to take hormonal birth control for DECADES, you will be hearing about a tiny little one woman riot.

— Emily Dagger (@AbbottRabbit) April 13, 2021

All federal health channels — such as mass vaccination sites and community health centers — are immediately halting administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, for the time being, reports CNN. The CDC and FDA are recommending that states do the same; however, it will be up to each individual state to make that decision, as they are given separate allocations of doses.

Right now, all states have halted the use of J&J until there is more information available. But because each state has a different vaccine rollout strategy, they will likely have different ways of dealing with the pause, too. In New York State, for instance, people with appointments to get the J&J vaccine will instead receive Pfizer, according to a statement from Howard Zucker, MD, the NYS Department of Health Commissioner. Many other states seem to be following suit, and plan to give people with existing appointments the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine instead.

Today our Public Health team will follow CDC guidelines and pause Johnson & Johnson distribution. If you’re scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine today, please **do not cancel your appointment** We will offer you Pfizer at NRG and Moderna at our mobile sites instead.

— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) April 13, 2021

But some locations are having to reschedule or cancel existing appointments now that the J&J vaccine is temporarily unavailable. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced: “J&J vaccine appointments will be canceled or put on hold at all New Jersey vaccination sites until further notice. The New Jersey Department of Health will work with all vaccination sites to make arrangements for the administration of an alternative two-dose vaccine.” But many sites that are distributing vaccines throughout the state have said that they won’t be canceling appointments and will be offering alternate vaccines instead.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the FDA, said in a news conference that the pause is expected to be short, only “a matter of days,” depending on on what they learn from thoroughly investigating each of the cases. The CDC is expected to convene an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review all six instances before deciding whether the vaccine should continue to be distributed to all adults, or certain age groups or populations. Currently, there are approximately nine million more doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that have been shipped out to various states, according to data from the CDC.

In a statement sent to Refinery29, Johnson & Johnson said: “We are aware of the extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine…We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”

If you have an appointment to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the coming days, keep an eye on your email and your phone to see if you receive a cancelation or rescheduling notification. You can also call your state’s vaccine hotline or your vaccine site, if you have the number, to ask for next steps. But for now, it looks like there’s a good chance you can still show up to your appointment and receive a two-dose mRNA vaccine instead of the J&J one-shot.

Additional reporting by Molly Longman.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Had the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine? Don't Panic

Johnson & Johnson's Vaccine Isn't "Less Effective"

I Helped Create The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

Just 10 miles from where Derek Chauvin is on trial for killing George Floyd, another case of police violence is unfolding. On Sunday afternoon, a police officer in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center reportedly pulled over Daunte Wright for driving with expired tags. The situation escalated when the officer learned that there was an outstanding warrant for Wright’s arrest. The attempted arrest turned fatal when the officer shot Wright. Now, as countless people take to the streets in protest, the incident is being labeled an “accidental discharge.”

Kim Potter, the 26-year veteran law enforcement official who shot Wright, is now the subject of an investigation after body camera footage showed her allegedly mistaking her gun for her taser. During a news conference, Brooklyn Center police chief Tim Gannon said it appeared as though Potter intended to fire her taser but instead accidentally fired her gun. “Taser! Taser! Taser!” Potter can be heard shouting in the footage before screaming, “Holy shit! I just shot him.” The video stopped moments later. Two other unnamed officers were on the scene when Potter pulled Wright over.

Brian Peters, head of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, told the Star Tribune that at the time of the shooting, Potter was working as a field training officer, training a new police officer. According to the Tribune, Potter had been on the force for quite some time — originally receiving her police license in 1995 — and even served as her police union’s president.

Gannon says that Potter’s actions were consistent with her training and Wright’s death was accidental. He claims that Potter “had the intention” to deploy her taser “but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet.” In the meantime, Potter has been suspended pending the results of a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation. The organization made a brief statement citing an active investigation but that Potter was on “standard administrative leave.”

However, many question how Potter could have mistaken her gun for a taser. The standard-issue guns for the Brooklyn Center Police Department all weigh significantly more than a typical taser. Further, tasers are designed to feel and look different from guns in order to avoid this type of confusion. What’s more, a gun requires disabling a safety locking feature in order to use it. “If you train enough, you should be able to tell,” Scott A. DeFore, a retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department told The New York Times. The body camera footage does not show how Potter carried her weapons; however, it does show one of her fellow police officers with his gun on one side and his taser on the other.

Rich Stanek, a former police officer, and law enforcement consultant, told Minneapolis’ ABC affiliate station that officers are trained to carry their taser on the opposite side of their belt from their gun. Specifically, away from their non-dominant hand as instances in which a taser is used are not deemed life-threatening.

This type of discharge is not an isolated incident in Minnesota, either. In 2002, Officer Gregory Siem shot a man named Christofar Atak at close range while mistakenly using his Glock instead of his taser. The case was settled for $900,000, and the police force committed to training their officers better. However, in August 2020, the Star Tribune published a story referencing Minneapolis police data that showed that the predominantly white city’s law enforcement disproportionately stopped and searched Black and East African drivers and their vehicles during routine traffic stops.

Between June 2019 to May 2020, Black drivers accounted for 78% of police searches for moving or equipment violations. Only 12% of searches in that same time frame were of white people, despite the city being made up of 63.6% white people.

Potter’s “intention,” as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension put it, is not the issue at stake. Rather, it’s that police officers — even the ones pulling people over for traffic violations — are fully armed and capable of killing, and seem to continue targeting Black citizens. Potter’s “intention,” whatever it might have been, resulted in yet another Black man’s death. And to that point, Wright is yet another Black man killed by police in Minneapolis, a city that has been in mourning from racist police killings for years, but especially since Philando Castile was shot and killed at a traffic stop while his girlfriend and child were in the car in 2016.

“An ‘accidental discharge’ that kills someone has another name: manslaughter,” New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman tweeted. “We don’t need police with lethal weapons carrying out routine traffic stops. Re-allocate police funding to unarmed traffic forces to remove even the possibility of state-sanctioned manslaughter.”

While Potter has yet to publicly comment, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot said he believes she should be terminated. “My position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession,” he said during a news conference. “And so I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties.”

Ben Crump, an attorney for Wright’s family, also made a statement calling the shooting “entirely preventable” and “inhumane.”

“As Minneapolis and the rest of the country continue to deal with the tragic killing of George Floyd, now we must also mourn the loss of this young man and father,” Crump said.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Police Are The Problem

Police Killed Angelo Quinto During Mental Episode

Police Treat White Rioters Like Their Lives Matter

For the last few months, actress Lucy Hale has been having fun with her hair and changing up the color from black to red to every variation of bronde in between. But this latest color — a bright, single-process platinum — might be her most dramatic change yet.

Posting a series of lemon and honey-themed emojis to capture the mood, Hale, who we know for having naturally dark brunette hair, shared her new look on Instagram earlier today, making sure to credit the UK-based styling team John Clarke and Johnny Eagland for the blonder color. In Hale’s well-lit selfie, her blunt bob is styled with soft waves making the look feel extra beachy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lucy Hale (@lucyhale)

This isn’t the first time that Hale has changed up her hair in the last several months. If anything, she seems to be enjoying semi-regular transformations. Last fall, the actress went from nearly black to a vibrant, auburn red from her kitchen sink. Then she returned to her signature dark brunette before brightening things up with subtle honey-golden highlights in February. Now, the color is a sunny yellow from root to ends, and it has us wondering if we want to jump on the warm-weather bandwagon and go hydrogen-peroxide blonde.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Did Kristen Bell Just Get Bangs?

The Laser Hair Removal Studio Catering To BIPOC

Hilary Duff Says Goodbye To Her Blue Hair