FDA restricts J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine due to blood clot risk

FDA Restricts J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine Due to Blood Clot Risk- USNews and World Report

The Food and Drug Administration restricted who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine after another review of the risk of rare but serious blood clots within two weeks of vaccination.

J&J’s vaccine was initially considered an essential tool in fighting the pandemic, but it proved less effective than two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It also caused blood clots in rare cases, but officials say they are still occurring.

The FDA said J&J’s vaccine can still be given to people who had a severe allergic reaction to one of the other vaccines and can’t receive an additional dose and people who refuse to receive the mRNA vaccines.

The clotting problems with the J&J shot were first mentioned last spring. The US regulators decided the benefits outweighed the risk.

COVID-19, caused by a rogue immune reaction to the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines, causes deadly blood clots in unusual places and in patients who also develop abnormally low levels of the platelets that form clots.

The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company announced last month that it was suspending sales projections for the vaccine due to manufacturing problems.

To read more on this, please visit the news resources below:

  1.  FDA Restricts J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine Due to Blood Clot Risk- UsNews and World Report

2.  FDA Restricts Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine- NBCNews New York

3. US FDA limits use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine over blood clot risk – ANI

4. Health officials to weigh limits on J&J vaccine as deadly blood clots continue- NY Post