From WSJ Staff Reports
North Carolina has stopped the use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
The state Department of Health and Human Services has released a statement regarding the CDC and FDA’s joint statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, following incidents of severe blood clots in a small number of people who received that vaccine.
“Our primary concern is the health and safety of all North Carolinians. Out of an abundance of caution, we are following the recommendations of the FDA and CDC and have paused the administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until we learn more,” according to the statement. … “If you have an appointment for Pfizer or Moderna, please go to your appointment as planned. If you have an appointment for Johnson & Johnson, your appointment will be rescheduled.”
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control urged states to stop using the J&J vaccine on Tuesday.
Six cases of clotting have been identified — and J&J officials indicated a possible seventh is being investigated. One person has died.
On Tuesday, The CDC and FDA made a joint statement on Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine:
“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. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. 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.”
Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare, health officials have said.
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. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.
