US Health authorities have called for the country to halt the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after reports of extremely rare blood clotting cases. The Food and Drug Administration called for the pause, stating that it was acting out of an abundance of caution. Six cases of severe blood clotting have been detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine. The recommendation to pause the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is reminiscent of when similar rare cases prompted other countries to stop administering the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The FDA stated via a series of tweets that the CDC is reviewing six reported cases of rare and severe blood clotting in individuals after receiving the vaccine. A joint statement by the FDA and CDC clarified that the victims were experiencing cerebral venous sinus thrombosis clotting, which requires a different treatment than usual. All six cases were women aged 18 to 48, and all six occurred within 13 days of vaccination. One woman has died and a second remains in critical condition.
Read More: US agencies call for pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine
