For a vast majority of Americans, at this very moment, it means almost nothing. And yet, it is also important.
A brief reminder that I am not a doctor. Nor can I claim to be one. I have zero medical opinions to offer – here or otherwise. What I can do, though, is collect the opinions of medical professionals, researchers, and government officials to give you to in an easier, more mentally digestible way.
For those of you set to get a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the coming days, you may need to reach out to your medical provider / place of vaccination to investigate options.
For everyone else, this is how Science works.
And this is evidence that these companies – and the government – are not jabbing our army willy-nilly with just anything. They are testing these things on volunteer populations, then administering these vaccines to the public. All while doing follow-up work to measure efficacy and side-effects.
And when even the slightest number of people have a chance at adverse reactions, the government steps in the ensure that the fewest number of people are at risk.
From the CDC:
As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen ) vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.
Courtesy: cdc.gov
To give you an idea of the percentage of people that have been injured by this relative to the number of people who have been vaccinated, six of 6.8 million is 0.000088-percent.
To put that into perspective, you are 10 times more likely to fall asleep in the bathtub and drown than have an adverse reaction of this particular derivation to this particular vaccine.
So, then, why the pause?
Because this has happened to a specific subsection of the population, the CDC and FDA want to make certain that they can tailor the administration of the vaccine to the proper groups.
Safety is paramount.
To add some, potential, background to this situation, in February a study was released linking antibody response to the formation of certain blood clots.
In severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), patients may develop abnormal blood clots—from pulmonary embolisms in the lungs and deep vein thromboses in the legs, to clots that lead to strokes or heart attacks. A new study reveals that clot–promoting autoantibodies likely cause or contribute to these complications.
Source: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2775690
This wasn’t a new concept, as the formation of blood clots was apparent all the way back in June of 2020. In fact, in June of 2020, the Director of the National Institute of Health said this:
“Six months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, researchers still have much to learn about the many ways in which COVID-19 can wreak devastation on the human body. Among the many mysteries is exactly how SARS-CoV-2, which is the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, triggers the formation of blood clots that can lead to strokes and other life-threatening complications, even in younger people.”
This new study – coupled with many done previously – added to the evidence that the infection itself isn’t what does causes the clots, but rather our own body’s reaction to an infection.
So, when administering vaccines targeted to produce a response from our body’s immune system, it is important to identify which person’s body responds in what way toward building an immunity to COVID-19.
From the CDC:
Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.htmlexternal icon.
Courtesy: cdc.gov
If you received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine a month ago, your likelihood of issues – according to the CDC – is very low. If you received it last week, monitor any symptoms like you have been.
‘I knew it! Not safe.’
I understand that the knee-jerk response may be to say, “see, these aren’t safe!” But, please, be careful not to allow emotion to cloud your judgement.
This is evidence that the vaccine-producers, vaccine-distributors, vaccine administers, and the government are taking steps to ensure the vaccine safety.
The Bottom Line
Look, I rarely tell you what to do. Short of a tornado on the ground headed toward your house, I’m not going to get into your business. But in this case, what I can tell you is that these steps are in place to maintain safety and ensure the right vaccines are getting to the right people.
The CDC, the FDA, and vaccine-makers want to make certain that the vaccines are safe for everyone. And if they are not, then those entities want to make sure that each type of vaccine is given to the population with the lowest risk.
That is what today’s “pause” is about. Minimizing risk and maximizing effect.
