CDC Recommends a Pause in Distribution of the J&J Vaccine Due to Blood Clots
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration are recommending a pause of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution due to six reported US cases of a “rare and severe” type of blood clot.
There have been 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson given out in the US and all six cases occurred among women ages of 18 and 48. According to a statement from Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research: “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,” the statement said. “FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”
In addition, Johnson & Johnson released their own statement on their website. “We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public,” read the statement.
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