Just In: US Agencies Calls For Suspension Of J&J Covid-19 Vaccine
According to a regulator on Tuesday, 13th April, top US health authorities suggested a “pause” in the production and use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” as they investigate any links between it and blood clots.
In a tweet by the FDA, The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are currently assessing the “potential significance” of six reported cases of a rare blood clot in patients who have received the shot.
“Until that process is complete, we are recommending this pause,” it said.
The regulator said that as of Monday, over 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine had been administered and prescribed in the US.
“CDC & FDA are reviewing data involving 6 reported U.S. cases of a rare & severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” the FDA stated on Twitter.
It further stated that it was calling for the pause to enable healthcare providers plan properly for “the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”
The CDC will convene an advisory committee Wednesday “to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases,” the tweets continued.
It said a news conference was scheduled for later Tuesday morning.
The statement came days after the European Union’s drug regulator said it is also reviewing possible blood clot cases in people given the J&J dose.
The news makes Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, made by a Belgian subsidiary called Janssen, the second to become embroiled in a blood clot scare.
