J&J vaccine could be sidelined under US panel recommendation

A panel of US experts has voted unanimously to sideline the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, in favour of Pfizer and Moderna

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is under scrutiny by a US panel, which have voted to sideline the jab in favour of Pfizer and Moderna, in what they say is due to J&J’s blood clot risks.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 57 J&J patients have developed a rare blood clot disorder.

According to the CDC, nine people have died from the vaccine after it allegedly caused blood clots.

A total of 16 million US residents have received the single-dose J&J vaccine

On Thursday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that the J&J vaccine be reserved for cases where patients are unable or unwilling to receive the more widely available Pfizer and Moderna jabs which are more popular.

The CDC will still have to decide whether to accept the panel’s recommendation or go through with it and implement the changes.

Health authorities say that the blood-clotting side effect from J&J remains rare, with federal health officials estimating that it has been reported at a rate of 3.8 per million doses given.

Of the 57 confirmed cases, 36 were admitted to intensive care units. The dead ranged in ages from 28 to 62, with obesity the primary underlying medical condition.

All the cases so far have taken place within a month of the jab, the vast majority after nine days.

A number of panellists warned against removing J&J as an option entirely, particularly at a time when US public health officials are trying to vaccinate the country’s remaining unvaccinated residents.