Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
US Pauses Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The US has paused its use of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine for Covid-19. The decision is the result of six cases of blood clots that formed after the injection. More than 8 million people have had the J&J shot. The pause is to allow scientists to review the data to determine if the 6 cases were caused by the shot or whether the incidents arose independently of the vaccination. This journal believes that, even if there is a causal relationship established, the benefits heavily outweigh the risks. This pause should be short.
The J&J vaccine is a one-shot inoculation, and the vaccine does not require extreme cold for shipment. This makes it superior logistically when compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. These are two-dose vaccines, and storage at -100F is necessary. Data show that the J&J shot has good efficacy. While not as strong as the data for Pfizer and Moderna, the vaccine was partly tested in South Africa where a troubling variant had arisen. Pfizer and Moderna's data were collected before the South Africa variant emerged. Thus, the data are not directly comparable.
The CDC issued a statement that stated it would hold an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices tomorrow. It will review the data and consider the situation. "Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution," the statement said. "This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot."
Blood clots also turned up in Europe with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, and it was extremely rare as well. The two share similar technology but not the same ingredients. The Washington Post reports, "The AstraZeneca vaccine uses an adenovirus that normally infects chimpanzees, while the Johnson & Johnson adenovirus normally infects humans." The AZO vaccine experienced a short pause when the blood clot issue arose. In that case, 222 cases arose out of 34 million, with 18 deaths.
The fact that anyone is dying from the complications is unfortunate, and one can understand the hesitancy some may feel moving forward with the J&J and AZO shots. Yet the extreme rarity justifies moving forward all the same. The AZO statistics suggest about 1 death per 500,000, which is about the same as the odds on being struck by lightning. On the other hand, the odds on dying from a Covid infection are on the order of 1 in 100. And the odds on getting infected are pretty depressing given that it is an airborne disease.
What is going to be difficult after the pause in restoring public faith in the shot. A great many people wanted the J&J shot in preference to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines because it was a one-and-done option. There is no need to come back a few weeks later for an additional shot. However, if the convenience of a single-dose vaccine is countered with the risk of death, it is going to be hard to motivate people to take it. The public faith in institutions is at a low point, and that only serves to complicate matters.
This journal remains of the opinion that the risks are justified given the arithmetic. America has vaccinated around 70 million of its 330 million population. Daily vaccination rates are approaching 5 million. This is not the time to tap the brakes. The J&J vaccine is needed as part of the global arsenal against the virus.
©: Copyright 2021 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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