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US FDA limits use of J&J Covid vax over blood clot risk

The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the US on February 27, 2021….reports Asian Lite News

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has limited the authorised use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, Janssen, to individuals 18 years of age and older who cannot or will not get other jabs, over the risk of rare blood clots.

“After conducting an updated analysis, evaluation and investigation of reported cases, the FDA has determined that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a syndrome of rare and potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets with onset of symptoms approximately one to two weeks following administration of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine, warrants limiting the authorised use of the vaccine,” the FDA said in a statement on Thursday.

“Our action reflects our updated analysis of the risk of TTS following administration of this vaccine and limits the use of the vaccine to certain individuals,” Xinhua news agency quoted Peter Marks, Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, as saying.

He said the FDA has been closely monitoring the Janssen vaccine and occurrence of TTS following its administration and has used updated information from its safety surveillance systems to revise the authorisation.

The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the US on February 27, 2021.

Through March 18 this year, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified 60 confirmed TTS cases, including nine fatal cases.

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UK approves single-dose J&J Covid vaccine

This is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised by the UK’s independent regulator and is the first to be approved for protection against the Covid-19 with a single-dose, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The Johnson & Johnson single-dose Covid-19 vaccine has been approved in the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Friday.

This is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised by the UK’s independent regulator and is the first to be approved for protection against the Covid-19 with a single dose.

“We have undertaken a thorough review of the conditional marketing authorisation application submitted by Janssen (part of Johnson & Johnson), including the information on quality, safety and effectiveness. I am pleased to confirm today that this authorisation has been granted,” MHRA Chief Executive June Raine said in a statement.

single-dose
A man wearing a face mask cycles past the Francis Crick Institute Vaccination Centre in London,UK , Britain, March 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan/IANS)

“This is encouraging news for the public and the healthcare sector. We now have four safe and effective vaccines approved to help protect us from Covid-19,” Raine added.

The MHRA also obtained independent scientific advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and its Covid-19 Expert Working Group.

The MHRA approval authorises the use of the vaccine in people aged 18 and over.

The decision on whether to use the vaccine in pregnant or breast-feeding women should be made in consultation with a healthcare professional after considering the benefits and risks, the statement reads.

The MHRA is thought to have held back from early approval of the vaccine after concerns were raised in the US about a link to extremely rare blood clots, similar to those seen in few people having the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that that almost half, and possibly three-quarters, of all new coronavirus cases in the country are of the B.1.617 variant.

Addressing a press conference at Downing Street, Hancock said: “We always expected cases to rise as we rolled out the roadmap, we must remain vigilant.”