US recommends ‘pause’ for J&J vaccine over clot reports/ AP

After many clinics in 4 states closed down, due to a high number of adverse reactions to the J and J vaccine (which were not described but which included many hospitalizations) the US CDC and FDA has halted use of these vaccines while it takes a closer look at what is happening.  I heard this am that a local person had been hospitalized with a serious blood clot.

My question has been, is this J and J vaccine truly made by Janssen in the Netherlands, or was it perhaps Emergent BioSolutions-made vaccine that snuck out the back door before it was authorized, got bottled elsewhere and was comingled with the vaccine made in Europe?  Why so many reactions suddenly?

I have been warning against using the EBS-made vaccine for over 6 months.  OTOH, it could be that the design of the vaccine is what is causing problems.  Maybe the adenovirus vector is the problem.  Maybe the spike.  Maybe something else.  Please be careful!  We are so close to herd immunity in most of the US.  We can successfully treat this virus.

Whenever public health officials use the term "abundance of caution" you know what that means:  "we're screwed!"

From today's Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said it was investigating clots in six women in the days after vaccination, in combination with reduced platelet counts. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S.

U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will pause the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet Wednesday to discuss the cases and the FDA has also launched an investigation of the cases.

“Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said in a joint statement.