The Federal Health Agencies of the United States of America on Tuesday called for an immediate pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single-dose coronavirus vaccine.
This is coming after six recipients were reported to have developed rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination.
According to The New York Times, All the six recipients were women between the ages of 18 and 48.
One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition.
Nearly seven million people in the United States have received Johnson & Johnson shots so far, and roughly nine million more doses have been shipped out to the states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., said in a joint statement. “Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.”
While the move was framed as a recommendation to health practitioners in the states, the federal government is expected to pause administration of the vaccine at all federally run vaccination sites.
Federal officials expect that state health officials will take that as a strong signal to do the same.
Within two hours of the announcement, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, advised all health providers in his state to temporarily stop giving Johnson & Johnson shots. New York State and Connecticut quickly followed suit.
Scientists with the F.D.A. and C.D.C. will jointly examine possible links between the vaccine and the disorder and determine whether the F.D.A. should continue to authorize use of the vaccine for all adults or limit the authorization.
The New York Times
Read Also: Public Alert: Fake Covid-19 Vaccine is Being Sold Online- INTERPOL Warns
