DUBLIN: Health concerns over Johnson & Johnson vaccine could jeopardize Ireland’s entire vaccination program. The US authorities have decided to suspend the use of the J&J vaccine. Following this, the authorities have stated that the supply of J&J COVID-19 vaccine in Europe will be delayed. In this case, the vaccine cannot be expected to reach Europe.
By the end of June, about 600,000 doses were due to be delivered in Ireland. The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have decided to suspend the use of single dose vaccine after six cases of blood clots were reported in the United States.
J&J confirmed that they have decided to delay the supply of the vaccine in Europe J&J said in a statement that it was aware of the incidence of blood clots in the few people who received the vaccine. The CDC and the FDA have recommended suspending the use of the vaccine. “We have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We have made the decision to proactively delay the roll-out of our vaccine in Europe,” J&J said.
Meanwhile, European officials announced that J&J has begun delivering the vaccine in EU countries, with a goal of delivering 55 million doses by the end of June. The first batch of J&J vaccines is due to arrive in Ireland on April 19, and 600,000 doses expected by the end of June.
The CDC’s advisory committee is meeting today (14th) to review cases linked to the J&J vaccine. The agencies said in a joint statement that the US FDA would review the analysis.
Six cases in the United States involved women between the ages of 18 and 48. White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients, said the J&J vaccine decision will not have a significant impact on the country’s vaccination plan.
Meanwhile, the Europe’s drugs regulator continues to recommend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. It explained that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. However, many EU countries have restricted the use of this vaccine to certain age groups.
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