Coronavirus: Johnson & Johnson vaccine halted in US, roll-out delayed in Europe
- Reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots investigated
- Pause a setback to the global vaccination campaign
The drug maker suspended shots in Europe after US officials urged pausing vaccinations to review rare cases of deadly brain clots, similar to those seen with AstraZeneca’s vaccine. Several countries in Asia were on the verge of deciding whether to approve J&J’s inoculation before the safety issue arose, while Australia had already ruled out any purchases.
In the European Union, which is struggling to quell a fresh wave of the pandemic, the suspension came as the bloc was finally accelerating vaccinations after trailing far behind the US and UK.
The stakes are higher for poorer countries reliant on Covax, a vaccine-access initiative backed by the World Health Organization. The group has an advance purchase agreement for as many as 500 million doses of the J&J shot. The African Union signed a deal last month for 400 million doses this year and next, with deliveries set to start in the third quarter.
At a briefing on Tuesday, FDA officials said the length of the pause will depend on what they learn, but they expect it to be a “matter of days”.
While the J&J shot hasn’t been widely used in Asia, that was poised to change. Most places in the region didn’t needed vaccinations to protect against the virus since strict social distancing and other mitigation measures kept it firmly in check. The immunisations were critical, however, for reopening to the broader world.
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Regulators in New Zealand were slated to decide on the vaccine, and said they would take the latest information into account. The Philippines was expected to sign with J&J this week, while Thailand approved it for emergency use on March 25. India, facing a mounting outbreak, has said it would fast track approvals of shots that other countries cleared, including the one from J&J.