After Vaccinating 6.8m Americans, U.S. Pauses J&J Vaccine Over Blood Clot Concerns

The United States health regulator has recommended a temporary pause in the administration of the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine due to reports of blood clots in those already vaccinated.

This was disclosed in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

It stated that so far, over 6.8 million Americans had been vaccinated with J&J vaccine.

But it noted that the few cases of blood clot discovered in six patients called for caution and thorough review of the vaccine.

“Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

“As of 4/12, 6.8m+ doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving 6 reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” it tweeted on Tuesday.

The FDA also advised those who feel funny after taking the vaccine to consult their physician while adding that the vaccine would no longer be administered until an update on the development was out.

“CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases.

“Until that process is complete, we are recommending this pause. This is important to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.

“People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider,” it stated.

Recall that blood clots in patients were also attributed to the UK AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, leading certain countries to stop its use.

THE WHISTLER reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had on April 7, confirmed that part of the side effects of AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine were, “very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets.”

Also, arrangements are being made to ship 220 million Johnson & Johnson Covid- 19 vaccine to Africa.

Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) April 13, 2021