Washington woman died of rare blood clotting syndrome after receiving Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, local health agency says



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The woman, who was almost 30, was vaccinated on August 26 and died on September 7 of a thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, known as TTS. It is a rare and potentially fatal clotting event that has been linked to the J&J vaccine.

Public Health – Seattle and King County said the diagnosis was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project. The CDC reported three more confirmed deaths from TTS nationwide, the statement said.

“The safety and well-being of every person who receives a Johnson & Johnson product remains our top priority,” a J&J spokesperson told CNN.

“Any adverse event reports involving people receiving the Johnson & Johnson single injection COVID-19 vaccine, as well as our own assessment of the report, are shared with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency , the World Health Organization. (WHO) and other relevant health authorities where our vaccine is authorized, “added the spokesperson.

“We strongly support awareness of the signs and symptoms of rare events described in the FDA vaccine fact sheet, to ensure that they can be quickly identified and treated effectively.”

Risk of dying from Covid-19 40 times the risk of a rare blood clot after receiving the J&J vaccine

The local health agency has not identified the deceased woman. But earlier this month, The Oregonian newspaper website posted an obituary for Jessica Berg Wilson, a 37-year-old Seattle resident, who said she died on September 7 of a rare bleeding syndrome. blood induced by a vaccine.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to CNN that Wilson died on September 7.

In a statement, the CDC said it was aware of the case and the report “indicates a plausible causal relationship between the J & J / Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and TTS.” The agency said it would release updated information on TTS cases later this year.

Blood clots and Johnson &;  Johnson vaccine: what you need to know

Earlier this year, the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended a pause in the use of the J&J Covid-19 vaccine after a small number of reports of blood clots in people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine , mostly younger women. over 50. Vaccine use resumed shortly thereafter with a new warning about the risk of blood clots, and clear instructions for health care providers on the particular treatment required.

Health officials said Johnson & Johnson was safe and effective, and the benefits of the single-shot vaccine far outweighed the risks.

Indeed, serious blood clots are just one of the many serious risks of Covid-19; the virus has caused more than 700,000 deaths in the United States. More than 186 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated – nearly 15 million have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – with few serious side effects.

TTS “is rare, occurring at a rate of about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women between 18 and 49 years of age. For women 50 and older and men of all ages, this adverse event is even rarer, ”the CDC said.

The CDC says people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should check for symptoms of a blood clot with a low platelet count for several weeks after vaccination and should see a doctor immediately if they identify any. Symptoms include: “severe or persistent headache or blurred vision, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling in the legs, persistent abdominal pain” and “bruising or tiny spots of blood under the skin beyond of the injection site ”. It can be treated with blood thinners other than heparin.

There is no increased risk of TTS after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, according to the CDC. “Women under 50, in particular, should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event, and they should be aware of other available COVID-19 vaccine options for which this risk has not been observed,” the agency said.

TTS has also been linked to AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, which is not licensed for use in the United States but is widely used in other countries. The AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines both use a common cold virus called adenovirus to transport the active ingredients of the vaccine around the body.

CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas and Michael Nedelman contributed to this report.

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