Ottawa-Health Canada says it is investigating reports that the second vaccine may be associated with a very rare case of blood clots.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration issued a joint statement on Tuesday to “suspend” the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine after six women developed blood clots after vaccination. I recommended that.
Blood clots are observed as the platelet count decreases, and blood clots and the usual treatment of the anticoagulant heparin can be “dangerous”.
Dr. Teresatam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, also today reports a record number of COVID-19 patients in Canada’s intensive care unit.
She says an average of 970 people were in the ICU last week, and the previous highest seven-day average was 880 in mid-January.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also urging Canadians to continue to comply with public health orders in the hope of a better summer.
Over 6.8 million J & J vaccines have been given in the United States, most of which are mild or have no side effects.
The vaccine was approved for use in Canada in early March, with Canada pre-purchasing 10 million doses and the option to purchase an additional 28 million doses, but has not yet been delivered.
In a tweet, Canadian drug regulators said they were aware of the issue and were asking pharmaceutical companies to provide information.
“[Health Canada]is closely tracking this issue and is working with manufacturers, the US Food and Drug Administration, and other international regulators,” Tweet said.
“Health Canada has asked Janssen to provide information on all cases of these rare blood clotting events.”
Janssen is Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical division.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand said on Monday that she did not expect J & J doses to come out in states ready for injections until the first week of May.
This problem is very similar to the blood clot reported after using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which uses the same technique but not the same prescription. Europe reported more than 220 cases in approximately 34 million shots in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Blood experts, infectious disease experts, and drug regulators say that vaccines have a significantly lower risk of blood clots than COVID-19 itself. The syndrome can be treated if caught.
The CDC Immunization Advisory Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the case, and the FDA has also begun investigating the causes of blood clots and decreased platelet counts.
People who have received J & J vaccine who have experienced severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within 3 weeks of receiving the shot are advised to contact their healthcare provider.
Authorities also said they would like to educate vaccine providers and healthcare professionals about the “unique treatments” needed for this type of blood clot.
So far, concerns about abnormal blood clots have focused on AstraZeneca vaccines. Drug regulators in Europe and the United Kingdom said last week that they couldn’t dismiss the link between AstraZeneca and blood clots, even if they haven’t been explained yet.
Also on Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency confirmed that very rare blood clots and low platelets should be listed as “very rare side effects” of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In Europe, the vaccine is now known as Vaxzevria, but the company has not yet filed a name change with Health Canada.
Canada approved it in February, with approximately 700,000 doses being administered here as of April 7. At this time, no blood clots have been publicly reported in Canada.
The United States has not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency has emphasized that the benefits of receiving a vaccine outweigh the risks of most people. However, some countries have restrictions on who can be vaccinated. In Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Vaccination recommended that people under the age of 55 not use it, as the first report found that blood clots occur primarily in the younger age group.
Since then, it has been found in all age groups and genders, but its recommendations have not yet changed.
The UK has recommended offering alternatives to people under the age of 30.
Mia Loveson
With a file from the Associated Press