New York: Instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot, which might cause uncommon but serious blood clots, most Americans should be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to US health officials.
According to CDC advisors, the odd clotting problem has caused nine verified deaths after J&J immunizations, but the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don't have that danger and also appear to be more effective. The group recommended that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines be given priority, and the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, approved the panel's recommendation late Thursday.
Because large trials revealed they all conferred substantial protection and early supplies were limited, the US has treated all three COVID-19 vaccinations available to Americans as equivalent choices until now. J&J's vaccine was initially hailed as a single-shot solution that could be especially useful for hard-to-reach populations such as the homeless, who might not receive the second dose required by the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
However, during a meeting on Thursday, the CDC's advisers said it was time to acknowledge that a lot has changed since vaccines began to be distributed a year ago. More than 200 million Americans have been fully immunised, with around 16 million receiving the J&J vaccine.
J&J shot linked to rare blood clots
The panel was persuaded by new evidence from unparalleled safety tracking of all those immunizations that, while blood clots linked to J&J's vaccine are still rare, they are nonetheless happening, and not just in younger women as previously thought.
The advisers voted unanimously that the safer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be used. They did say, however, that if someone really wants it - or has a serious allergy to the other options - the injection created by J&J's Janssen business should still be available.
"I would not advocate the Janssen vaccination to my family members," said CDC expert Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington, "but certain patients may — and should be able to — chose that dose."
The clotting issues initially surfaced last spring, with the J&J vaccination in the United States and a comparable vaccine made by AstraZeneca in other countries. Eventually, US officials agreed that the benefits of J&J's one-shot vaccine exceeded the risk of an extremely rare side effect - as long as patients were informed.
Although some nations imposed age limitations because the early reports were predominantly in younger women, European regulators continued to promote AstraZeneca's two-dose vaccination.
COVID-19 can also induce life-threatening blood clots. The vaccine-linked kind, on the other hand, is thought to develop as a result of a rogue immune response to J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines due to their manufacturing processes. It develops in strange areas, such as the veins that drain blood from the brain, and in people who also have abnormally low amounts of platelets, which are responsible for clotting. Severe headaches, abdominal discomfort, and nausea are among the symptoms of the peculiar clots, dubbed "thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome," which appear a week or two after the J&J immunisation - not immediately.
While it's still extremely rare, the Food and Drug Administration announced this week that additional cases of J&J vaccination-related illness had been reported since the spring. They are most common in women between the ages of 30 and 49, and occur approximately once in every 100,000 doses, according to the FDA.
In the United States, there have been 54 confirmed clot cases.
According to the CDC's Dr. Isaac See, the government has documented 54 clot instances, 37 in women and 17 in men, as well as nine deaths, two of which were men. Two other deaths, he said, are suspected.
The CDC is in charge of deciding how vaccines should be used in the United States, and its advisers have expressed concern about the rising number of deaths. When weighing the benefits and drawbacks of all the vaccines, the panellists concluded that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines' side effects were less severe - and that supplies are currently available.
Several counsellors pointed out that J&J is no longer considered a one-shot vaccine. The single-dose vaccine was not as effective as the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Moreover, with the development of extra-contagious viral mutations, booster doses are now required.
A booster is suggested for J&J recipients at least two months after vaccination. Mixing vaccines for booster shots had previously been approved by US health officials.
Pfizer and Moderna are more secure.
Several countries, including Canada, have already implemented regulations that favour Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. However, J&J informed the committee that its vaccine still provides effective protection and is an important choice, particularly in areas where vaccine supplies are scarce or for persons who do not want a two-dose shot.
While blood clots are uncommon, "sadly, COVID-19 cases are not," according to J&J's Dr. Penny Heaton.
According to CDC expert Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado, the United States is fortunate in terms of vaccine availability, and Thursday's move should not deter usage of J&J's vaccine in regions across the world where it is needed.
The FDA also issued a warning this week that anyone who developed a clot after receiving a J&J or AstraZeneca vaccine should not receive another dose.
The committee also heard some of the first data regarding Pfizer vaccine side effects in young children. The CDC suggested a two-dose series for that age range early last month, and more than 7 million doses have been administered so far. However, only a few issues have been recorded. About ten of the 80 significant adverse effects recorded were a kind of inflammation commonly found in male teenagers and young adults.
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