Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is PAUSED after six women out of seven million people developed a ‘stroke-like illness’ caused by rare and severe blood clots – and one died

Daily Mail

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine is being temporarily paused in the US after six women developed rare blood clots, including one who has died and one is in the hospital in a critical condition.

Seven million people in the US have had the one-shot vaccine. The percentage of people who have developed blood clots from it is 0.00008. 

In the US, 0.27 percent of the population suffer from Deep Vein Thrombosis – a more severe form of blood clot – every year.

But experts say they want to stop the roll-out out of an ‘abundance of caution’ until they know more. The women who developed blood clots are all aged between 18 and 48.

One of them – who has not been identified – died and another, who is in Nebraska, is in a critical condition. They do not yet know if the six women affected have other underlying illnesses, and they also do not know how long the pause will last.

Doctors say that people who received the vaccine more than a month ago do not need to worry but people who received it within the last ‘few weeks’, should ‘look for symptoms including sudden pain, shortness of breath, severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath, should seek medical treatment.’

The two authorities are not revoking emergency authorization of it, but say they are recommending a pause in the administering of it until more data is collected.

Now, it’s down to individual states, cities, healthcare centers and even doctors to decide whether or not to give it to someone.

‘It is is a recommendation – it is not a mandate. However, if an individual healthcare provider has a conversation with a patient and they determine the benefit risk for that patient is appropriate, we’re not going to stop that provider from administering the vaccine.

‘It could be the benefit risk would be beneficial. We’re recommending a pause but on an individual basis, a provider and patient can make a determination on whether or not to receive the vaccine,’ Peter Marks, Director of the FDA Evaluation and Research, said on a call with reporters.

One of the biggest problems is not the blood clot itself but that traditional treatments like heparin can cause ‘tremendous harm’ or be ‘fatal’, doctors said on Tuesday.

Anne Shuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC said: ‘I know the information we’re providing is going to be very concerning.

‘I want to let you know what were doing to learn more and protect people in the meantime, there has been six reports of a severe, stroke-like illness linked to low platelet counts. More than 6million doses have been administered so far. While these events are very rare, we’re recommending a pause in order to prepare the healthcare system to recognize and treat patients appropriately.

The rest is here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9465711/FDA-CDC-set-call-Johnson-Johnson-COVID-vaccine-paused.html