Effective immediately, the city of Paris will withdraw its use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Janssen, after the DHS, CDC and FDA recommended its halt after just six cases of a severe and rare type of blood clot were reported. As of earlier today, the U.S. has administered more than 6.8 million J&J vaccines.
The city of Paris administered 368 doses of J&J’s Janssen during its first and only administering of J&J, with no reports of adverse effects at this time. The city received 1,000 doses overall, but at the request of DHS, CDC and FDA, will not offer J&J’s Janssen.
The reported blood clot cases occurred among six women between 18 and 48 years old, and symptoms were noticeable within 6 to 13 days after receiving the J&J vaccine.
Those who have already signed up to receive the J&J vaccine on Friday in Paris will have the option to either receive the Moderna vaccine or cancel their appointment altogether.
Interim Paris EMS Director Russell Thrasher said there is no need to worry as there have only been six cases of the rare blood clot out of the already administered 6.8 million J&J vaccine recipients.
As the CDC and FDA continue their review of the six reported cases of a “rare and severe type of blood clot” possibly due to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the two organizations recommend halting the vaccine until after they meet with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and review further data on Wednesday.
“Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered,” according to the joint CDC and FDA statement. ”Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.”
The CDC is set to meet with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to review these six cases and assess potential significance.
“Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” according to the joint statement. “COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”
For health care providers, click here to report any adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. As of earlier today, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered within the U.S.
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