Janssen is the official name of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Nation's health officials pause use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
Contributed By:The 411 News
Six women experienced blood clots after being vaccinated, 1 has died
Reports of six U.S. women developing blood clots after taking the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, with 1 death and a second hospitalized in critical condition has led the FDA and the CDC to issue a joint statement recommending a pause in administering the vaccine.
Janssen is the official name of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The decision from the Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention came during a Tuesday morning joint conference call. The health officials recommended all providers stop their J&J vaccinations until its safety is determined.
The Indiana State Health Dept. issued a statement notifying Indiana vaccination clinics using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to pause its use following the news reports. The state has not received official notification of a directive to pause but is doing so out of an abundance of caution.
All six cases occurred in women ages 18 to 48, with symptoms developing six to 13 days after they received the shot. Doctors typically treat that type of blood clot with heparin, but health regulators noted that could be dangerous in this case and recommended a different treatment.
People who got the J&J vaccine more than a month ago are at very low risk for developing the blood clots, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, told reporters on Tuesday’s conference call.
“For people who recently got the vaccine within the last couple weeks, they should be aware to look for any symptoms,” she said. “If you’ve received the vaccine and developed severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath you should contact your healthcare provider and seek medical treatment.”
The CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to further review the cases, federal health regulators said Tuesday. The FDA is also investigating the cases.
Health officials noted that blood clotting also occurred with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe and several of those countries have also paused using it.
Story Posted:04/13/2021
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