U.S. health authorities recommended that vaccination sites discontinue the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to investigate rare cases of blood clots. The move comes after European health regulators said they were investigating reports of clots between four people who received the J&J shot, while also studying the clotting of people who had received a Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. PLC and Oxford University.
Why is the J&J vaccine paused?
U.S. health authorities recommended the break while investigating six reported cases of blood clots, including one death. Six women, ages 18 to 48, were reported to have experienced clots, as well as low platelet levels, which aid in clotting.
The cases were extremely rare (so far more than 6.8 million doses of the shots have been administered in the United States), but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was making the recommendation with great caution. Regulators and researchers still don’t know if vaccines cause side effects or anything.
What are the symptoms of blood clots that I should consider?
If you have been receiving the J&J vaccine for the past three weeks, you should look for symptoms such as severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or difficulty breathing. If you experience any of these symptoms, which differ from the simple symptoms that people have reported after vaccination, you should contact your doctor or other health care provider.
For each of the six cases of coagulation, symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination, whereas similar symptoms usually appear within approximately one day of receiving the vaccine.