Regulators review ‘pause’ on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine in South Africa, US

*I doubt very seriously if they ‘just cancel’ the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, one of three approved for use in the US, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, foremost US scientist and infectious diseases specialist

*The South African Government announces the J&J shots are a key element to the country’s vaccination plan

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Provided certain conditions are met in the application of the COVID-19 Vaccine brand,

South Africa’s health regulator urged the government to lift the pause on administering Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 Vaccine in the country.

The Southern African country’s Health Products Regulatory Authority in a statement said: “These conditions include, but are not limited to, strengthened screening and monitoring of participants who are at high risk of a blood clotting disorder.”

COVID-19 vaccination

ConsumerConnect had reported Tuesday, April 13, that South Africa halted J&J Vaccines after the relevant health agencies also called for their suspension in the United States (US).

It was gathered that the J&J shots are a key element to South Africa’s vaccination plan, and has already been used to immunise health workers, with no reported adverse effects.

Drug maker Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited will manufacture the J&J vaccine in South Africa for wider use.

The South African Government has reportedly been slow to roll out its vaccination programme, and only 292,623 healthcare workers had been inoculated with the J&J doses as of April 17, 2021, reports Bloomberg.

The country said to be the worst-affected economy by the Coronavirus pandemic on the African continent, lags behind emerging market peers in vaccinations, according to report.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, American foremost scientist and infectious diseases specialist

Meanwhile, the US has said that it is unlikely to ‘just cancel’ J&J shots for immunisation of Americans.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, foremost US scientist and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press, that a decision on how to resume vaccinating Americans with the Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus shots will probably come by Friday, April 23.

Dr. Fauci stated: “I doubt very seriously if they just cancel” the J&J vaccine, one of three approved for use in the US.”

The leading scientist said it would be surprising “if we don’t have a resumption in some form by Friday.

“One of those possibilities would be to bring them back, but to do it with some form of restriction or some form of warning.”

The US health officials also had paused use of the J&J COVID-19 shots while they seek more data on a rare side effect.

It was learnt that six US women who received the shots developed a severe form of blood clotting six to 13 days after vaccination.

The public health officials Thursday concluded a meeting on the vaccine without a vote. Advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they lacked adequate information to make recommendations on how to respond to reports of the clots, report stated.

According to Fauci, the new guidance on the vaccine “could be” gender-based, “but we don’t know that” yet.

“You don’t want to jump ahead of yourself and assume you know the total spectrum of this,” said he.

The six cases under investigation were reported in women between the ages of 18 and 48, raising questions about whether the syndrome primarily affects females or young people generally.

He said: “I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment.

“We did not have enough information to make a narrow restriction off the bat.”

Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, said Friday, April 16 that the CDC panel is set to resume April 23.

“I would think that we’re not going to go beyond Friday in the extension of this pause,” Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week.”

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