DATE: 16TH APRIL 2021
Recommendation to Pause Use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in US
On April 13, 2021, CDC and FDA recommended a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. Of the nearly 7 million doses administered so far in the United States, a small number of cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot have been reported in people after receiving the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. All reports occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. As of April 13, 2021, no cases have been reported among the more than 180 million people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
The use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is ‘paused’ for now. This is because the safety systems that make sure vaccines are safe received a small number of reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot happening in people who got this vaccine.
We do not know enough yet to say if the vaccine is related to or caused this health issue. To be extra careful, CDC and FDA recommend that the vaccine not be given until we learn more.
CDC and FDA recommended this pause to communicate with and prepare the healthcare system to recognize and treat patients appropriately. Communication with healthcare providers will also emphasize the importance of reporting and how to report severe events in people who have received this vaccine. This pause also will allow CDC’s independent advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, to meet, review these cases, and assess their potential significance.
What to Do If You Received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
If you received the vaccine more than three weeks ago, the risk of developing a blood clot is likely low at this time.
If you received the vaccine within the last three weeks, your risk of developing a blood clot is also low and that risk will decrease over time.
Contact your healthcare provider and seek medical treatment urgently if you develop any of the following symptoms:
- severe headache,
- backache,
- new neurologic symptoms,
- severe abdominal pain,
- shortness of breath,
- leg swelling,
- tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae), or
- new or easy bruising
If you are scheduled to get the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, please work with your vaccine provider to reschedule your appointment to receive another authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccine. There are two other COVID-19 vaccines authorized and recommended for use in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Symptoms of Covid-19
We should remember that people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
All the above-said symptoms are common in case of ‘flu’ or Influenza
Photo Courtesy- Gulf News
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