Belgium discontinues vaccinations for under-41s after a woman dies after vaccination with Johnson & Johnson.
It is unclear whether there is actually a connection with the vaccination.
Brussels - Again fuss about a vaccine.
After all the back and forth about age limits at Astrazenca, the corona vaccine from the US company Johnson & Johnson is now apparently causing problems.
In Belgium, the vaccine is initially only injected into people aged 41 and over.
The government decided on Wednesday, as reported by the Belga news agency.
Belgium: Death after vaccination with Johnson & Johnson - Previous vaccine incidents
The background is the death of an under-40-year-old, which may be linked to a vaccination from Johnson & Johnson. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) had been asked to investigate. The patient died last Friday. According to a statement from the authorities, she was taken to hospital with a severe thrombosis and a lack of blood platelets. She was vaccinated abroad through her employer.
In the USA there was a vaccination ban with the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson at the beginning of April.
This was due to six cases of cerebral vein thrombosis that occurred after vaccination.
The temporary suspension, which the American authorities had decided on, lasted around ten days.
The suspension was recommended out of "excessive caution," the medical journal quotes the CDC health authority and the FDA.
Johnson & Johnson: Benefits outweigh - EMA ahead of new investigation
Both Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson continue to be used in the USA and Europe despite the known cases.
The likelihood of serious side effects is far too low.
The competent authorities had concluded that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.
However, there are now indications of a further review by the EMA.
The impact on the Belgian vaccination campaign is low, according to the report.
Most of the vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson have so far gone to people older than 45 years.
So far, a good 15 percent of citizens in Belgium have been fully vaccinated, almost 40 percent at least once.
(
md with dpa)
