EDITORIAL: Pausing J&J’s jab is the responsible thing to do
But SA needs answers quickly, ideally within days, and there’s no time to dither once the verdict is in
Health minister Zweli Mhhize’s announcement earlier this week that the use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) coronavirus vaccine would be temporarily paused pending an investigation into reports of rare blood-clotting disorders in people who received the shot was the right call.
The decision came hard on the heels of an announcement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — one of the world’s most stringent medicine regulators — that it recommended pausing administration of the shot after six women developed life-threatening clotting disorders within two weeks of receiving the jab. The women were all under 50 and developed an unusual combination of blood clots and a low platelet count, which requires specialised treatment...
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