The United States will take steps in the coming days to resume use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, possibly imposing broader restrictions or warnings after a number of very rare cases of blood clots have been reported, a leading U.S. infectious disease expert reported Sunday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a series of news program interviews that a decision on whether to reinstate Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine will be made once consultants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meet on Friday.
"I would be very surprised if we don't have some sort of resume by Friday," he said. "I really didn't think they would want to expand it a little bit more."
Fauci, who is chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, believes federal regulators could reinstate the vaccine with age or gender restrictions or with clear warnings in a way that is "slightly different from the way it was used before." "
The CDC and FDA said last week that they need more evidence to determine whether certain blood clots are related to the injection, and if that danger occurs, then the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been stalled.
The cases are unusual: Six out of more than 7 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine injections have been reported. Blood clots were found in six women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died.
Tuesday's decision triggered swift action in Europe and elsewhere. Fauci said he seriously doubts the U.S. will permanently stop using Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
"I don't think that's going to happen," he said. "The break is to take a look at it to make sure we know all the information we may have in this timeframe and to warn some of the doctors who may see people with this particular adverse event, especially women, that they treat them correctly."
The vast majority of people who received this vaccine had few or no side effects. Authorities stressed that they found no signs of blood clotting problems with the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, namely Moderna and Pfizer.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)The vast majority of people who received this vaccine had few or no side effects. Authorities stressed that they found no signs of blood clotting problems with the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, namely Moderna and Pfizer.
Following the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are certain problems with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and we are now in an even more difficult position when we already had no choice.