US health authorities are calling for a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, after reports of extremely rare blood clotting cases.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was acting "out of an abundance of caution".

It said six cases of severe blood clotting had been detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine.

The recommendation follows similar rare cases in the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has prompted some curbs in its use.

In a series of tweets, the FDA said it and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reviewing "six reported US cases of a rare & severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare".

"We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution," it said.

This was to "ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events".

The FDA added that this specific blood clotting needed different treatment from that which might typically be administered. It gave no immediate further details.

The New York Times quoted officials as saying the six cases were all women, between 18 and 48.

One woman had died and a second, in Nebraska, was in a critical condition, it said.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1800 HRS, APR 13, 2021
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