Dr Wilbur Chen says blood clots “a rare event”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville said the government and its National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee are more than satisfied with the use and efficacy of its supplies of Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed a preference for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, unlike Johnson & Johnson.
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a one-dose vaccination, remains much safer than any risk of a rare side effect, with the virus being significantly more likely to cause severe disease or death, according to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
But in some very rare cases, there have been reports of blood clots, not dissimilar to those of the United Kingdom’s AstraZeneca earlier this year.
More than 17 million people have received the J&J vaccine in the United States, with just nine deaths from the condition, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia.
This represents 0.00005 percent of total vaccination with the vaccine.
Dr Wilbur Chen, an ACIP committee member, said “these are small numbers; it’s a rare event”.
Darville said: “For us at the Ministry of Health, we are quite satisfied with the administration of Johnson & Johnson, the first as well as the possibility for the second [dose].
“As far we are concerned in health, we are satisfied with the direction we are going in with our vaccination committee.”
The Ministry of Health is satisfied with the current protocols in place for the use of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and the AstraZeneca.
– Minister of Health & Wellness Dr Michael Darville
At last report, The Bahamas had around 20,000 doses of J&J, which has been rolled out for first-time vaccinations and for those seeking a booster shot for additional protection amid the threat of new variants such as omicron, which has become the dominant variant in the United States and in other jurisdictions.
The government also plans to share some of those doses with other Caribbean countries in need, according to health officials.
“The Ministry of Health is satisfied with the current protocols in place for the use of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and the AstraZeneca,” Darville said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee has recommended that all adults who received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson also receive a second dose at least two months after their first.
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