Texas woman who received J&J vaccine hospitalized with symptoms similar to blood clot cases that paused rollout

23 Apr, 2021 07:40

A woman in Texas who was administered the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 shot is receiving medical treatment after exhibiting signs of potential blood clots, mirroring cases that prompted authorities to halt the vaccine’s use.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services said on Thursday that the agency had been notified about the case by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, but was not provided with further details in order to protect the patient’s privacy.

The rollout of the J&J vaccine was paused earlier this month after six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed blood clots after receiving the shot. However, hundreds of doses had already been administered in Texas before the authorities halted its use. 

In the six reported cases, symptoms developed between six to 13 days after receiving the vaccine. One of the women died, while another was left in critical condition. 

The incident comes as the CDC is set to meet on Friday to discuss whether it is safe to resume the rollout. 

Along with the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement on April 13 describing the adverse events as “extremely rare,” and said the advisory to halt its use was “out of an abundance of caution.”

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J&J has insisted that “no clear causal relationship” has been established between the blood clots and the vaccine, and said it was cooperating with health authorities to investigate the cases. 

On Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it found a possible link between J&J’s vaccine and rare blood clotting issues in US adults who received it, but said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks. 

The J&J Covid-19 vaccine isn’t the only one suspected of causing rare but dangerous adverse effects. The EMA also established a link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine and blood clots, prompting countries around the world to halt or restrict its use. 

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