COVID-19 is a severe and epidemic disease that appeared from the capital city of China, Wuhan, in December 2019. The spread of the virus can be caused by a mere touch. The whole world has been fighting against this pandemic for almost a year now and has faced massive destruction due to this virus. Millions have lost their lives due to this pandemic, and people throughout the world are still fighting this disease furthermore, coronavirus has also caused drastic effects on the economy and development of the world.
COVID Vaccines:
People are now being vaccinated with the emergence of corona vaccination. The coronavirus vaccination is also being transferred to many countries as many countries are trying to import as many vaccines as possible. Most of these vaccines are considered safe as they go through various clinical processes for experiments before they are given to people. The aim of these vaccinations is to protect as many people as possible from getting the disease as the vaccine work by generating antibodies against the disease in the human body without actually causing the disease.
COVID Vaccination Programs:
The first mass vaccination program was started in early December 2020 and now there are several vaccines that are being used. Many medical companies and platforms have taken part in the manufacturing of COVID vaccines and as of now, at least 7 different vaccines have been administered.
Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccines:
One of the medical platforms that have taken part in producing the COVID vaccine is “Johnson & Johnson”, also known as J&J. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is a US health care company, but a pharmaceutical branch in Belgium with laboratories in the Netherlands mainly produced the vaccine and is also called as Janssen. The J&J vaccine is given as a single shot and can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures, making it easier to distribute in hotter climates or more remote areas.
A Call For Pause On J&J Vaccines:
The J&J vaccine has been administered to almost 7 million people in the US, which is about 3% of the total vaccinations given so far.
The CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration recommended the U.S. to call a pause on the use of the single-shot J&J vaccine after six US cases were reported regarding a rare and severe type of blood clot. These six cases were amongst more than 6.8 million Americans who have received a shot of the J&J vaccine.
South Africa was the first country to administer the J&J vaccine. It has also called a paused on its use as a precautionary measure, although no cases relating to blood clots have been reported in the country.
Reported Cases Of Blood Clots:
The agencies stated that all the reported six cases involving the rare and severe type of blood clots were among women aged between 18 and 48. The symptoms of blood clots occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.
The FDA and CDC stated in a joint statement that they are still reviewing the data of the six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. It is reported that the clotting was known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and the treatment for this type of blood clot is different than usual. The common treatment is stated to be an anticoagulant known as heparin which may be dangerous.
Although these reported cases seem to be extremely rare, the recommendation to pause on the use of the J&J vaccine comes out of an abundance of caution, pending a further review of the reported cases.
The joint statement also suggested people who have received the J&J vaccine contact their health care provider if they develop any symptoms involving severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination.
Johnson & Johnson Statement On The Reported Issue:
Johnson & Johnson has issued a statement on the reported issue. It is stated that the safety and well-being of the people using their products is their number one priority and they are aware of the extremely rare disorder which involves people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received the J&J vaccine.
At present, no clear causal relationship has been established between these rare events and the J&J vaccine and they are also reviewing these cases with European health authorities. J&J Company has decided to proactively delay the rollout of their vaccine in Europe and pause vaccinations in all Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials while they update guidance for investigators and participants.
J&J further stated that they have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and they strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.
