Illinois pauses use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after rare clot problems
Illinois temporarily suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, following recommendations from the federal government.
The Illinois Department of Public Health made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration review data involving six cases in the United States of a rare but severe blood clot in people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Nearly 7 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered nationally, according to the CDC.
“I’d like to stress these events appear to be extremely rare. However COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority,” FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock said at a news conference. “We expect it to be a matter of days for this pause.”
Illinois public health department Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the decision stems from a commitment to address “any safety signals” with transparency.
“The blood clot cases appear to be extremely rare and there are no reported cases associated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccines,” Ezike said. “IDPH is taking immediate action to ensure as little disruption to Illinois residents as possible during this pause, and I strongly encourage people to continue to get vaccinated.”
The state health department notified all vaccine providers to discontinue use of the vaccine and recommended they give the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to people with appointments instead.
Most of the doses Illinois has on hand are Moderna or Pfizer, the state health department said in a news release. Its allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week was 17,000 doses and next week’s is an estimated 5,800 doses.
People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their doctor.
The clots occurred in women between the ages of 18 and 48 anywhere from six to 13 days after vaccination. The clots affected veins that drain blood from the brain and happened in conjunction with low platelets, or the component of the blood responsible for clotting.
The CDC and FDA said Tuesday the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet Wednesday to “further review these cases and assess their potential significance,” according to a news release from the agencies.
“This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot,” the statement said.
Apparently similar cases occurred after AstraZeneca vaccinations in Europe. The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been authorized for use in the U.S. The European Medical Agency issued a report in early April that found 164 cases of blood clots among 34 million doses administered in the European Union. The Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines were developed using similar technology, but it was not clear if the clot problems were connected.
The Associated Press and Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 9:38 AM.
