We clarify 4 doubts about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine 4:11
(CNN) -
US health authorities are investigating the possibility that Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine could slightly raise the risk of a rare neurological complication known as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), it said. a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a statement to CNN on Monday.
The newspaper
The Washington Post
reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English) is preparing to announce a new warning that relates the vaccine syndrome.
CNN has reached out to Johnson & Johnson and the FDA for comment.
Even if the vaccine increases the risk of the syndrome, it is better to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the CDC stressed.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
"GBS is a neurological disorder in which the body's immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness or, in the most severe cases, paralysis. It is estimated that each year in the United States between 3,000 and 6,000 people develop GBS, which is usually caused by a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. Most people make a full recovery from GBS, "said the CDC spokesman.
"Reports of GBS after receiving the J & J / Janssen covid-19 vaccine in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) are rare, but indicate a small possible risk of this side effect after this vaccine. ".
About 100 preliminary reports of GBS have been detected in VAERS after the administration of 12.8 million doses of the J & J / Janssen covid-19 vaccine.
These cases have been reported mostly about two weeks after vaccination and mostly in men, many of them 50 years or older. "
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The same pattern is not seen with the other two vaccines licensed in the United States, made by Moderna and Pfizer.
The spokesperson said CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will discuss the matter at an upcoming meeting.
"In the United States, almost all hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 occur in unvaccinated people. The risk of serious adverse events following vaccination against COVID-19 remains rare. It is recommended that everyone 12 years of age or older more receive the vaccine against covid-19, "said the statement.
It's not just about you.
Experts Say Covid-19 Vaccine Protects Everyone Around You
The CDC and FDA briefly suspended use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine earlier this year due to the risk of a rare type of blood-clotting complication, but lifted the pause in April after determining the risk was low. and that the condition was treatable.
The vaccine label has been updated to warn of the risk.
Johnson & Johnsonvaccine against covid-19
