Federal health authorities on Tuesday, April 13, recommended that states pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while scientists look into six reported cases of a rare type of blood clot. All U.S. jurisdictions halted use to await the outcome of that examination. Meanwhile concerns and questions have surged. Here’s what’s known so far:
Q: Why didn’t they catch the concern before the J&J vaccine went on the market?
A: The pattern is so rare that it only arose after millions of people were vaccinated. Nearly 7 million Americans have received the J&J vaccine. Before being granted emergency use authorization in late February, the vaccine was tested in tens of thousands of patients with no red flags. When the vaccines went into global distribution, scientists continued to watch the medical data come in, still looking for patterns. With J&J, they saw a small but serious pattern: Six women who developed a dangerous blood clotting condition had also taken the J&J vaccine within the previous two weeks. One of the women died.
Q: Does that mean the vaccine caused the blood clotting condition?
A: Scientists don’t know yet if it was related to vaccination or just a coincidence. The pattern wasn’t enough to constitute proof; it’s just what scientists call a “safety signal” —something worth their attention and further investigation.
Q: What was the condition?
A: It was a pair of conditions. The six patients had dangerous clots, at the same time they had a dangerous shortage of platelets. It’s counterintuitive because platelets are the parts of blood that make blood clot. The patients were all women between the ages of 18 and 48.
Q: How many vaccine brands does this issue concern?
A: In the United States, only J&J. In other parts of the world, another vaccine, Astra Zeneca, is under discussion for similar issues. The blood condition has not been associated with the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which are the only other vaccines authorized in the U.S.
Q: How long will the pause take?
A: The FDA and CDC scientists recommending the pause indicated it would be a matter of days or weeks. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met Wednesday and kept the J&J pause in place. The committee has scheduled a second emergency meeting about J&J for April 23.
Q: What are they doing in that time?
A: A number of things. Scientists are looking deeper into the cases to understand possible links and causes. Also, they hope that news about the pause will result in any other cases out there being reported so they can be examined, too. And they want doctors to know about the possible reaction, because it requires an unexpected type of treatment.
Q: Is there a downside to the pause?
A: The J&J vaccine is effective and saves lives from COVID-19. Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, J&J only takes one shot, and it’s easier to store. That means it doesn’t have to be scheduled, and it can be easily brought to hard-to-reach clients.
Q: What should patients look out for?
A: Patients should immediately report to their doctor if they have shortness of breath; chest pain; leg swelling; persistent abdominal pain; neurological symptoms (including severe or persistent headaches or blurred vision); a diffuse rash on the skin consisting of pinpoint-like spots (called petechiae).
Q: What about other conditions?
A: All of the vaccines have reported side effects which don’t last long and are normal. Those side effects can include headache, fatigue, nausea, or pain at the injection site on the arm.
Q: I got the J&J vaccine a month ago. Should I be worried?
A: The blood condition so far has only been seen within 13 days of a person’s vaccination.
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