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Denmark Rejects J&J Vaccine Despite Rising Covid-19 Infections

This article is more than 2 years old.
Updated May 3, 2021, 11:53am EDT

Topline

Denmark’s Health Authority ruled Monday the country will no longer use the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine because of the risk of severe blood clots despite the European Medicines Agency concluding the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the possible risks.

Key Facts

The country’s ruling health organization said since Denmark’s “vaccination rollout is progressing satisfactorily” they have decided to forgo use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Denmark stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine on April 14, also due to links to blood clots.

About 1.2 million of the 6 million people who live in Denmark have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to the Associated Press.

Covid-19 infections are increasing in Denmark with an average of 755 new infections every day—the highest infection rate for the country since Dec. 17, according to Reuters

In April, the European Medicines Agency said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should still be used but a warning should be added to alert patients of the “possible link” to severe blood clots.  

Forbes reached out to Johnson & Johnson for comment. 

Key Background

The U.S. paused usage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 13 after there were six reported cases, and one fatality, of a severe blood clot in people who got the vaccine. After a two-week review, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration lifted the pause and concluded the risk of blood clots was extremely small, and determined “potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks” in adults over the age of 18. The European Medicines Agency reported similar findings on April 20, calling the blood clot risk “very rare” and therefore the vaccine benefits “outweigh the risk of side effects.” The EMA made a similar determination on the AstraZeneca vaccine in early April.

Tangent

Canada is postponing its distribution of their first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because the doses were manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore where 15 million doses were contaminated. The plant was temporarily shut down after an FDA investigation. Canada’s health agency will conduct a review of the 300,000 doses the country received before distributing the vaccines to the public.  

Further Reading

Trust In Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Plummets After CDC ‘Pause,’ Poll Finds (Forbes) 

The F.D.A. ended its recommended pause on the J.&J. vaccine, clearing the way for states to use it again. (NY Times)

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