Johnson and Johnson delays Covid vaccine roll out in Europe

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday called for a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six recipients of the jab developed a rare

New York: Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has decided to delay the roll out of its Covid-19 vaccine in Europe after federal health agencies in the US recommended a pause in the use of the jab in the country.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday called for a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six recipients of the jab developed a rare and severe type of blood clot.

“We have made the decision to proactively delay the roll out of our vaccine in Europe and pause vaccinations in all Janssen Covid-19 vaccine clinical trials while we update guidance for investigators and participants,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”

The European Union (EU) last month authorised the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) made a positive recommendation based on scientific assessment of its efficacy and safety.

But reports of some people developing rare blood clots after receiving the vaccine have put strains in the vaccination drive.

In the US, the FDA and the CDC have urged the states across the country to pause the use of the single-dose vaccine while they investigate cases of blood clots.

“The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our Covid-19 vaccine,” Johnson & Johnson said.