USFDA recommends pause in use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in US after reports of ‘rare & severe’ blood clot

Biznextindia : The US Federal Drug Administration (USFDA) has recommended a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after 6 cases of severe and rare types of blood clot reported among the 6.8 million vaccinated in the United states. All these six cases have occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

“As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination” said USFDA.

The US centre for disease control and prevention (USCDC) will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) tomorrow (Wednesday) to further review these cases of blood clot and assess their potential significance. FDA will also 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” said USFDA.

Few days back, the company had announced that it’ll soon begin bridging clinical trials of its single dose vaccine in India.