Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Put on Hold

by Zaid Aleem

According to federal health officials, six women who received the Johnson and Johson vaccine developed blood clots, one resulting in death, out of more than seven million doses administered across the United States. People who received the Pfizer and Moderna shots haven’t reported the specific adverse event, according to officials, the Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Johnson & Johnson requested assistance from its three rival Covid-19 vaccine makers to investigate reports of blood clots, but Pfizer and Moderna both declined, according to people familiar with the situation. According to the Wall Street Journal, only AstraZeneca agreed.

J&J also wanted to form an informal alliance with its competitors, which it hoped would allow the industry to speak with one voice about the vaccines’ safety and address any public concerns about the blood-clot cases., the Journal writes.

In a statement to CNN on Friday, a Pfizer (PFE) spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the WSJ report. “Pfizer embraces opportunities for scientific exchange when we can make a meaningful contribution that is not being represented by other groups or regulators,” the spokesperson said. “We have and will continue to collaborate with other vaccine makers as appropriate as we all fight against this deadly pandemic.” Moderna (MRNA) and AstraZeneca (AZN) declined to comment.

The news comes just three days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following six reported US cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot.

All six cases were among women between the ages of 18 and 48, the agencies said in a statement, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. The recommendation to pause comes out of “an abundance of caution,” they added, and these cases “appear to be extremely rare.”