News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined this morning by Dr. Daniel Griffin to discuss the COVID-19 vaccines and variants.

There are reports the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is causing adverse side effects, including fainting. At least three sites in North Carolina have stopped administering the vaccine after at least 26 people reported adverse reactions.

Should people who got the shot be worried? And when can we expect to see the long-term effects of the vaccines? Dr. Griffin answers below:

AstraZeneca's shot was hailed as the world's way out of the pandemic. Cheaper and more easily stored than other COVID-19 vaccines. But on Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency confirmed a possible link between the vaccine and rare blood clots. The risk appears small but potentially higher for younger age groups. News of the possible side effect has dealt a blow to the globe's vaccination hopes. Dr. Griffin talks about the vaccine:

We're hearing now that hospitals are seeing more young adults with severe COVID-19 symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies have suggested that the U.K. variant is more contagious than the original strain, as well as possibly more dangerous and associated with a higher risk of death.

Multiple studies show that a mother's antibodies generated after COVID-19 vaccination can, indeed, be passed through breast milk to their babies. More research is being done. Below is what Dr. Griffin has to say of the benefits: