CDC Says Benefits of J&J Covid Vaccine Still Outweigh Risks After Reports of Rare Neurological Disorders

There have been 100 reported cases of a rare, but serious, neurological disorder following the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccination, but preliminary data suggests the benefits of the injections still outweigh the risks, the Centers said on Thursday. for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 8.1 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome per 1 million doses, which is higher than expected in the general population and nearly eight times the rate seen in pictures from Pfizer and Moderna, according to slides. published Thursday before a presentation to the CDC. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Guillain-Barre is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system.

The data does not show a similar pattern with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the U.S. agency said. In comparison, there was about 1 case of Guillain-Barre per million doses for people who received one of the two-dose mRNA vaccines, according to the agency.

The additional data comes just over a week after the Food and Drug Administration announced a new warning for J&J firing after preliminary reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome were detected in some J&J recipients.

The new warning was just the latest setback for J&J, who suffered from problems with production of his vaccine as well as public concerns about a rare, life-threatening blood clotting disorder linked to his injections.

J&J is conducting early-stage research to determine whether potential changes to its Covid vaccine could reduce or eliminate the risk of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT, seen in some recipients.

Rare side effects, which scientists say are common, have also been detected in vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

In late June, the FDA added a warning to patient and supplier information sheets regarding mRNA vaccines to indicate a rare risk of heart inflammation. Both vaccines now include a warning about myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart. Health officials have said the benefits of receiving the vaccines always outweigh any risks.

Of the 100 reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, 95 people were critically ill, according to the CDC. One person – a 57-year-old man with pre-existing conditions – has died. The reported cases largely occurred around two weeks after vaccination and mostly in men, with a median age of 57, the data showed. More than 12 million injections of J&J have been administered in the United States, according to the CDC.