The Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution has come to a halt due to a handful of recipients suffering from blood clots.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) convened this week to consider reports of an extremely rare disorder involving blood clots in combination with low platelets observed in a small number of individuals following vaccination with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
“The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority, and we strongly support awareness of the signs and symptoms of this extremely rare event to ensure the correct diagnosis, appropriate treatment and expedited reporting by health care professionals,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. “We continue to believe in the positive benefit-risk profile of our vaccine. We value the consideration of the Advisory Committee, and we will continue to collaborate with medical experts and global health authorities, including the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization, as we work toward continuing vaccinations to end the global pandemic.”
Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine.
The Company has made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe and pause vaccinations in all Janssen COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials while we update guidance for investigators and participants.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAD THE J&J VACCINE?
The CDC and FDA have made information available about proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.
The health authorities advise that people who have received their COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
For more information on the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
