In recent news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommend the U.S. pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Six U.S. cases reported “rare and severe” blood clotting, according to CNN.
These six cases were out of more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered in the U.S. The odds of getting blood clots after receiving the vaccine are about one in a million. This is less than a 0.1% chance.
“You have a greater chance of being in a car accident on the way to getting this vaccine than you have of having a problem from this vaccine,” said Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Philadelphia Children’s Hospital. “But that’s not how people view risk.”
Currently, there are three vaccines available to the public in the U.S.: Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use mRNA, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses an adenovirus. The AstraZeneca vaccine also uses an adenovirus but is not in use in the U.S. However, more than 70 countries authorized its use.
Continuing to get vaccinated
Similar to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can also cause minor side effects.
“I was a bit tired and sore for about a day, had a fever the night after the shot (but the) fever went away by the next morning,” said Drew Jensen, ’21. “Ever since then I haven’t had any symptoms or signs of side effects. So personally, I am not that worried, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on.”
Experts on the matter, like Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean of the Emory University School of Medicine at Grady Health System, say people should continue to get vaccinated.
“It looks like the risk of blood clotting is very rare and it is too soon to make a causal link between the vaccine and the clots,” said Associate Professor of Biology Gregory Ruthig.
