Washington: Most Americans should be given pfizer or Modern Vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot that can cause rare but serious blood clots, US health officials said Thursday.
Advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the odd clotting problem has led to nine confirmed deaths after J&K vaccinations — while Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines don’t come with that risk and appear to be more effective.
The panel recommended the unusual move to prioritize Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, and late Thursday CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Valensky accepted the panel’s advice.
So far the US has considered all three COVID-19 vaccines available to Americans as an equal option, as large studies found they all offered strong protection and that initial supplies were limited. The J&J vaccine was initially hailed as a single-dose option that may be especially important for hard-to-reach groups such as the homeless who cannot get the required second dose of Pfizer or Moderna alternatives Is.
But CDC advisers said during a meeting Thursday that it is time to recognize that much has changed since vaccines were introduced a year ago. More than 200 million Americans are believed to be fully vaccinated, including about 16 million who have received the J&J shot.
New data from unprecedented safety tracking of all those vaccinations convinced the panel that while J&J vaccine-associated blood clots are very rare, they are still happening and not just in young women as was originally thought. .
In a unanimous vote, the consultants decided that the safer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are preferred. But he said the shot, made by J&J’s Jensen division, should still be available if someone really wants it — or has a severe allergy to other options.
“I would not recommend the Janssen vaccine to members of my family,” said Dr. Beth Bell, a CDC adviser at the University of Washington, “but some patients may and should be able to choose that shot.”
The clotting problem first emerged last spring, with the J&J shot in the US and a similar vaccine made by AstraZeneca being used in other countries. Ultimately US regulators decided that the benefits of the J&J vaccine were considered a very rare risk – as long as the recipients had been warned.
Similarly European regulators continued to recommend AstraZeneca’s two-dose vaccine, although initial reports were mostly in young women, with some countries issuing age restrictions.
COVID-19 also causes fatal blood clots. But the vaccine-linked type is different, believed to be caused by a rogue immune response to the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines because of how they are made. It forms in abnormal places, such as the veins that drain blood from the brain, and in patients who develop abnormally low levels of clotting platelets. Symptoms of abnormal clotting, called “thrombocytopenia syndrome with thrombosis,” include severe headache a week or two after J&J vaccination — not immediately — as well as abdominal pain and nausea.
Although it is still very rare, the Food and Drug Administration this week told health care providers that more cases have been reported after the J&K vaccination since spring. They occur most commonly in women ages 30 to 49 — about once for every 100,000 doses, the FDA said.
In all, the government has confirmed 54 clotting cases—37 in women and 17 in men, and nine deaths—including two men, according to the CDC’s Dr. see Isaac said Thursday. He said two more deaths are feared.
The CDC decides how vaccines should be used in the US, and its advisers have described the continuing deaths as disturbing. Comparing the pros and cons of all vaccines, the panelists agreed that the side effects of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines weren’t as severe—and now supplies are plentiful.
Several advisors noted that neither J&K is considered yet another done vaccine. The single-dose option did not prove to be as protective as the two doses of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines. Also, with extra-infectious virus mutants now spreading, booster doses are now recommended.
For J&K recipients, a booster is recommended for at least two months after vaccination. US health officials previously fined mixing vaccines for booster shots.
Many countries, including Canada, already have policies in place that prioritize Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But J&K told the committee that its vaccine still offers strong protection and is an important option, especially in parts of the world without plentiful vaccine supplies or for people who do not want the two-dose shot. .
While blood clots are rare, “unfortunately there are no cases of Covid-19,” Dr. penny heat said.
Dr Matthew Daly, CDC adviser for Kaiser Permanente Colorado, said the US is fortunate in its vaccine availability and Thursday’s action should not discourage the use of the J&J vaccine in places around the world where it is needed.
The FDA also warned this week that another dose of the J&J vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed a clot after a J&J or AstraZeneca shot.
The committee also heard some of the first data about the side effects of Pfizer vaccinations in young children. Earlier last month, the CDC recommended a two-dose series for that age group, and more than 7 million doses have been given so far. But some problems have been reported. Of the 80 reported cases of serious side effects, about 10 involved a form of inflammation similar to that seen in male adolescents and young adults.
Advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the odd clotting problem has led to nine confirmed deaths after J&K vaccinations — while Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines don’t come with that risk and appear to be more effective.
The panel recommended the unusual move to prioritize Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, and late Thursday CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Valensky accepted the panel’s advice.
So far the US has considered all three COVID-19 vaccines available to Americans as an equal option, as large studies found they all offered strong protection and that initial supplies were limited. The J&J vaccine was initially hailed as a single-dose option that may be especially important for hard-to-reach groups such as the homeless who cannot get the required second dose of Pfizer or Moderna alternatives Is.
But CDC advisers said during a meeting Thursday that it is time to recognize that much has changed since vaccines were introduced a year ago. More than 200 million Americans are believed to be fully vaccinated, including about 16 million who have received the J&J shot.
New data from unprecedented safety tracking of all those vaccinations convinced the panel that while J&J vaccine-associated blood clots are very rare, they are still happening and not just in young women as was originally thought. .
In a unanimous vote, the consultants decided that the safer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are preferred. But he said the shot, made by J&J’s Jensen division, should still be available if someone really wants it — or has a severe allergy to other options.
“I would not recommend the Janssen vaccine to members of my family,” said Dr. Beth Bell, a CDC adviser at the University of Washington, “but some patients may and should be able to choose that shot.”
The clotting problem first emerged last spring, with the J&J shot in the US and a similar vaccine made by AstraZeneca being used in other countries. Ultimately US regulators decided that the benefits of the J&J vaccine were considered a very rare risk – as long as the recipients had been warned.
Similarly European regulators continued to recommend AstraZeneca’s two-dose vaccine, although initial reports were mostly in young women, with some countries issuing age restrictions.
COVID-19 also causes fatal blood clots. But the vaccine-linked type is different, believed to be caused by a rogue immune response to the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines because of how they are made. It forms in abnormal places, such as the veins that drain blood from the brain, and in patients who develop abnormally low levels of clotting platelets. Symptoms of abnormal clotting, called “thrombocytopenia syndrome with thrombosis,” include severe headache a week or two after J&J vaccination — not immediately — as well as abdominal pain and nausea.
Although it is still very rare, the Food and Drug Administration this week told health care providers that more cases have been reported after the J&K vaccination since spring. They occur most commonly in women ages 30 to 49 — about once for every 100,000 doses, the FDA said.
In all, the government has confirmed 54 clotting cases—37 in women and 17 in men, and nine deaths—including two men, according to the CDC’s Dr. see Isaac said Thursday. He said two more deaths are feared.
The CDC decides how vaccines should be used in the US, and its advisers have described the continuing deaths as disturbing. Comparing the pros and cons of all vaccines, the panelists agreed that the side effects of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines weren’t as severe—and now supplies are plentiful.
Several advisors noted that neither J&K is considered yet another done vaccine. The single-dose option did not prove to be as protective as the two doses of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines. Also, with extra-infectious virus mutants now spreading, booster doses are now recommended.
For J&K recipients, a booster is recommended for at least two months after vaccination. US health officials previously fined mixing vaccines for booster shots.
Many countries, including Canada, already have policies in place that prioritize Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But J&K told the committee that its vaccine still offers strong protection and is an important option, especially in parts of the world without plentiful vaccine supplies or for people who do not want the two-dose shot. .
While blood clots are rare, “unfortunately there are no cases of Covid-19,” Dr. penny heat said.
Dr Matthew Daly, CDC adviser for Kaiser Permanente Colorado, said the US is fortunate in its vaccine availability and Thursday’s action should not discourage the use of the J&J vaccine in places around the world where it is needed.
The FDA also warned this week that another dose of the J&J vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed a clot after a J&J or AstraZeneca shot.
The committee also heard some of the first data about the side effects of Pfizer vaccinations in young children. Earlier last month, the CDC recommended a two-dose series for that age group, and more than 7 million doses have been given so far. But some problems have been reported. Of the 80 reported cases of serious side effects, about 10 involved a form of inflammation similar to that seen in male adolescents and young adults.
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