J&J (Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccination Restart
After about a 10 day pause in the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Vaccine being administered in the US, on April 23, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice (APIC), recommended to the CDC & FDA to restart J&J vaccinations again. The pause was due to reports of multiple cases of a new syndrome that identified as an apparently rare cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, later called TTS, and potentially associated with the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. This turned out to be correct.
This article reviews the ACIP/FDA/CDC work, defines the new syndrome, its signs & symptoms, and includes the data on the known cases for review. The material also outlines the Warning to be added to the J&J COVID-19 vaccine for women in the high-risk group and an outline of the evaluation & treatment information for their health care providers. It also provides some practical action for EMS & First Responders when encountering these potential patients. Resources & Links to more detailed information from various sources are included.
