The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee met today and decided to resume injections of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after U.S. health authorities recommended the company pause its use after being linked to reports of rare blood clots.
The pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine came after six cases in which recipients suffered from a rare side effect– the blood clot cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. According to reports, a 45-year-old Virginia woman died after receiving the vaccine. Investigators are now looking into the death of an Oregon woman who has also died after receiving it. Her death was discussed in today’s meeting.
Earlier this week, the European Union’s drug regulator found that there was a “possible link” between the vaccine and a small number of blood clots in the U.S. Even with this potential side effect, the vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks, regulators indicated to the Associated Press.
The regulatory agency– the European Medicines Agency– says the vaccine should still be used without any restrictions, however a warning should be added to the shot so recipients are aware of the dangerous side effect.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved to resume use of the vaccine by 10-4.