The FINANCIAL — The use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine is paused for now. This is because the safety systems that make sure vaccines are safe received a small number of reports of people who got this vaccine experiencing a rare and severe type of blood clot with low platelets.
In mid-January, Norwegian officials reported that 33 people age 75 and older had died a short time after receiving the Covid vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. After a review, a committee of the World Health Organization said that the fatalities were “in line with the expected, all-cause mortality rates and causes of death in the sub-population of frail, elderly individuals.” The committee concluded that the risk-benefit balance of the vaccine “remains favorable in the elderly.” The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency reported that as of Jan. 24, there were 143 deaths shortly after injections with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and another from AstraZeneca Plc, mainly in elderly people or those with underlying illness, and that there’s no suggestion the vaccines played a role. And in Germany, the Paul Ehrlich Institute said after an investigation that the deaths of seven elderly people shortly after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were probably due to the patients’ underlying diseases.
If you got this vaccine more than three weeks ago, your risk of developing a blood clot with low platelets is very low.
If you got this vaccine within the last three weeks, your risk of developing a blood clot with low platelets is also very low. However, you should be on the lookout for possible symptoms of a blood clot with low platelets:
severe headache
backache
blurred vision
fainting
seizures
severe pain in your abdomen or stomach
severe pain in your chest
leg swelling
shortness of breath
tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae)
new or easy bruising or bleeding
If you notice any of these symptoms, seek medical care right away.
If you have an appointment to get the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, work with your vaccine provider to reschedule your appointment to receive another authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccine, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
What is a Blood Clot?
A blood clot is a mass of blood that forms when platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood stick together. Blood clots can form in, or travel to, the blood vessels in the limbs, lungs, brain, heart, and kidneys. The types of problems blood clots can cause will depend on where they are:Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. It can block a vein and cause damage to your leg.
A pulmonary embolism can happen when a DVT breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. It can damage your lungs.and prevent your other organs from getting enough oxygen.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare blood clot in the venous sinuses in your brain. Normally the venous sinuses drain blood from your brain. CVST blocks the blood from draining and can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
Blood clots in other parts of the body can cause problems such as an ischemic stroke, a heart attack, kidney problems, kidney failure, and pregnancy-related problems.
Find out who is at risk of developing blood clots, symptoms, and treatments.
April 24th is Prescription Take Back Day
Do you have expired drugs or medications that you no longer use? Your medicine is for you. What’s safe for you might be harmful for someone else. The best way to dispose of your expired, unwanted, or unused medicines is through a drug take back program. Learn more about where you can dispose of medication you no longer use or how to do it at home.
What is a TSH Test?
A TSH test is a blood test that measures the thyroid stimulating hormone. Your thyroid makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy, regulates your weight, body temperature, muscle strength, and even your mood. TSH levels that are too high or too low can indicate that your thyroid isn’t working correctly. Thyroid tests help health care professionals diagnose thyroid conditions such as:
hyperthyroidism – thyroid hormone levels are too high
Graves’ disease – the most common cause of hyperthyroidism
hypothyroidism – thyroid hormones levels are too low
Hashimoto’s disease – of the most common cause of hypothyroidism
thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer
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