By VOA News
On the vaccine front, Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday (April 20) it is resuming its European rollout of its one-dose vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the drug regulator for the European Union, determined the drug’s benefits outweighs the risks of possible blood clots.
The EMA reviewed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following a small number of reports from the United States of six women between the ages of 18 and 48 who developed a rare but serious blood-clotting disorder associated with low levels of blood platelets following vaccination. One woman died and one was hospitalized in critical condition.
The agency concluded the drug’s product information should include a warning about the possible side effects, which should be listed as very rare.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration jointly called for a pause in the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week in response to the six blood clotting cases.
The six women were among the 7 million Americans who have received the vaccine since its approval.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said he expects an independent CDC advisory panel to lift the suspension when it meets again later this week. (VOA)/JBB-jlo
