US halts use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to rare blood clotting issues

The Food and Drug Administration of the US government said on Tuesday it is asking states to temporarily halt using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine after six people in the country developed a rare blood clotting disorder.

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"Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. As of 4/12, 6.8m+ doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC & FDA are reviewing data involving 6 reported U.S. cases of a rare & severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare," tweeted the US FDA.

“COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously,” the FDA said in a joint statement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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“People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider,” the FDA and CDC said.

Meanwhile, the Australian government has also decided against buying the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine as a way to accelerate its immunisation programme.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is similar to the AstraZeneca  product, which Australia already contracted to buy.

(With inputs from agencies)