Concerns over the safety of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine have increased after fresh restrictions on its use were issued by the American drug regulator over rising cases of rare and potentially deadly blood clots.
In a May 5 statement on their website, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the vaccine will now only be used in their country for cases where there is no alternative.
“After conducting an updated analysis, evaluation and investigation of reported cases, the FDA has determined that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a syndrome of rare and potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets with onset of symptoms approximately one to two weeks following administration of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine, warrants limiting the authorised use of the vaccine,” the FDA said.