U.S. Investigating 2 New Clotting Cases Tied to J&J Vaccine

(Bloomberg) -- Two new cases of blood clots linked to Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine are being investigated by federal health officials, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

One case was in a male and the other in a female, both of whom were under 60 years old, a CDC spokeswoman said in an email to Bloomberg News. The new reports bring the total number of cases to 17 out of about 8.1 million doses administered in the U.S.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration lifted a recommended pause on use of J&J’s vaccine Friday following an investigation into blood clots possibly linked to the shot. The 15 cases it examined before electing to resume dosing were all in women, though CDC officials cautioned that the syndrome may also occur in men.

It’s not clear whether the new cases were among people who were vaccinated before the pause was enacted or since it was lifted on Friday. Investigations of the two new cases are ongoing, the CDC said.

J&J carefully reviews reports of adverse events in people who receive its vaccines, according to an emailed statement, and any such reports, along with the company’s assessment, are shared with the FDA and other appropriate health authorities.

The CDC is calling the condition thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or blood clots with low platelets. It’s a distinct combination that doctors aren’t used to seeing and requires treatment that is different from the standard for blood clots.

U.S. health officials said the pause helped educate the public and doctors about the syndrome, which is rare, and the benefits of J&J’s vaccine outweigh the risks. One CDC estimate found the shot could prevent some 1,435 Covid deaths and 2,236 hospitalizations, compared with a projected 26 possible clot cases in the next six months.

Health officials are trying to promote the benefits of J&J’s vaccine, which has become a popular option because it requires only a single dose to achieve full vaccination, compared with the two doses other vaccines require.

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