Janssen Vaccine Should Be Last Option, US Experts Say

A committee of medical experts in the United States, which advises the government, voted on Thursday (16) in favor of recommending the anti-covid vaccines from pharmaceuticals Pfizer and Moderna over Janssen, due to their lower protection and greater risks.

The vote was unanimous (15-0) in support of the so-called “preferential recommendation”, which applies to everyone over 18 years of age.

Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approved the measure late on Thursday, urging people to get vaccinated and receive a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Today’s updated recommendation emphasizes the CDC’s commitment to providing real-time scientific information to the American public,” Walensky said in a statement.

Officially, the recommendation diverts the American population from the Janssen vaccine, lauded at first because it could be stored at refrigerator temperatures and offered good efficacy against early coronavirus strains with just one dose.

But then evidence emerged linking the immunizer to a rare form of clots, especially in women of childbearing age, prompting authorities to suspend its use to resume it in April. Since then, it has remained a distant third vaccination option for Americans.

Furthermore, preliminary data from laboratory tests suggest that the injection offers very little protection against the new omicron variant, at least against infection.

“I would not recommend a Janssen vaccine to my family members,” Beth Bell, a professor at the University of Washington, said of her vote, referring to the Johnson&Johnson vaccine.

“On the other hand, I think that we do have to recognize that different people make different decisions and that if they are properly informed, I don’t think that this option should be eliminated,” he added.

nine dead

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called for a vote after more serious cases of clotting surfaced.

At least nine people had died from low platelet clots or thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) by Dec. 9 after giving about 16 million doses, according to figures released by the CDC.

Until August 31, 54 cases were registered and 36 needed intensive care. Some of those who did not die had long-term effects such as paralysis.

The greatest risk was detected in women aged between 30 and 49, a group in which the TTS rate was close to one per 100,000.

But the risk is not limited to this demographic group, as two out of nine deaths occur among men. The CDC said the number of deaths may be underestimated. Overall, approximately one in seven cases of TTS was fatal.

Sara Oliver, a CDC scientist, told a committee of independent experts that there are several options available to them, including voting to recommend against using the vaccine altogether.

But the expert committee agreed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should remain available to people who for whatever reason refuse to be immunized with the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, despite its greater efficacy and lower risks.

Furthermore, they also consider that making a recommendation against the Janssen vaccine in full would send a negative signal to other parts of the world, where it may be the only option available.

“The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is a life-saving tool for people in high-risk populations,” argued Penny Heaton, J&J’s head of immunizations for global therapeutics.