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The United States approved the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on February 27
The European Union, United States and South Africa have decided to suspend use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine, after rare cases of blood clots were reported.
The United States Food and Drug Administration said six of the more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been detected.
Johnson & Johnson has temporarily suspended use of the vaccine in the European Union, which had started distribution earlier this week.
This follows the surveillance of similar cases after taking doses of the vaccine “AstraZeneca”, which has led to the imposition of restrictions on its use.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has said it is recommending a temporary suspension of use “out of extreme caution” and has confirmed the death of one patient from complications from blood clotting and another patient in the process. critical condition.
All six cases were in women aged 18 to 48, and symptoms of infection appeared 6 to 13 days after vaccination.
Based on the recommendation, all federal sites in the United States have suspended use of the vaccine until further investigations into its safety are completed.
The United States has so far recorded the most confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 31 million cases and more than 562,000 deaths.
Published photo, Reuters
The company “Johnson & Johnson” is an American company in the health care field, but the vaccine was developed mainly through a subsidiary of the company to manufacture the drugs in Belgium, and the vaccine is also known as ” Jansen “.
Unlike the practice for other vaccine doses, the patient is given one dose of the vaccine, and it can also be stored at normal temperatures in the refrigerator, which facilitates the process of dispensing in hot or remote areas.
Although many countries have already requested millions of doses, the company has approved a few.
The United States approved its use on February 27, but the widely used vaccines are the “Pfizer-Bionic” and “Moderna” vaccines, and the “Johnson & Johnson” vaccine has been given to nearly seven million people in the United States. -United. ., This represents about 3 percent of the total beneficiaries of the immunization program presented so far.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s senior Covid adviser, said it was too early to comment on the possibility of revoking the user license.
South Africa, the first country to approve the vaccine, has also temporarily suspended its use, although no cases of blood clots have been reported in the country.
The vaccine became preferred there after studies showed it had a higher rate of protection against the mutated strain of the virus in South Africa compared to other vaccines, and around 300,000 health workers received the vaccine, since mid-February.
The World Health Organization told Reuters news agency it was monitoring the situation and awaiting reports from US and European regulators.
Despite this, deliveries of the vaccine to European Union countries began just 24 hours before Johnson & Johnson announced its temporary suspension of use in Europe. Since the vaccine is not yet under European Union administration, experts will be watching the United States to see what the next step is.
Published photo, Reuters
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa receives Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Cape Town
The World Health Organization has criticized the European Union in the context of a very slowdown in vaccine use, and there are fears the recent comment could lead to more unrest.
Britain has not approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, although 30 million doses have been requested in advance, and the Department of Health has said postponement of use will not affect the vaccine supply in Britain, nor would it hamper the goal of providing one dose to all. adults at the end of July.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada had previously ordered 10 million doses of the vaccine and was still “on track” to receive the first shipment by the end of the month.
“But we are certainly following developments in the United States closely,” he added.
What do we know about the latest cases of blood clots?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement that they are “reviewing data on six reported U.S. cases of rare and severe blood clots in individuals after receiving the vaccine”.
The statement added that the coagulation is known as “thrombosis of the veins and sinuses of the brain” and that this type of blood clot needs to be treated differently than usual.
The statement said the current treatment is an anticoagulant drug called “heparin”, and that “it can be dangerous.”
Published photo, Reuters
The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended to “suspend the use of this vaccine as a matter of great caution.”
The joint release states that “People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and experience severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of vaccination should contact their health care provider. health.
Johnson & Johnson Statement
Johnson & Johnson issued a statement saying it had shared “all reports of complications” with health officials.
She added: “We are aware of reports of blood clots that have been recorded after receiving the Covid 19 vaccine, but a cause and effect relationship between these rare cases and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against Covid 19 has not been proven so far. “
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