Johnson & Johnson vaccine receives green light from European regulator

The EMA believes that the overall benefit-risk balance of using Johnson & Johnson's vaccine remains positive.

AP - David Zalubowski

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

For the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against Covid-19, on which many countries rely to speed up immunization campaigns, can be used, due to a favorable benefit / risk ratio .

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In a ruling on Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency ruled that blood clots that have occurred in a few vaccinated people should be listed as a " 

very rare

 " side effect of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"

 The EMA finds a possible link with very rare cases of unusual blood clots associated with low blood platelets 

," said the European regulator, adding that this " 

confirms that the overall benefit-risk balance remains positive

 ".

The CFO of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had previously said the laboratory remained " 

fully confident

 " about its vaccine and hoped to find "

 very soon

 " a solution with regulators on its use,

currently suspended in Europe and the United States

.

This decision was eagerly awaited by several European countries, including France, which rely on the J&J vaccine, having the advantage of requiring only one dose, to speed up their immunization campaign.

AstraZeneca and Janssen's anti-Covid vaccines are " 

essential

 " to achieve the objectives of the vaccination campaign in France, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

►

To read also: France: vaccination opens to all over 55 years

In the United States, health authorities recommended last Tuesday "

 a pause

 " in its use to investigate the appearance of serious cases of blood clots.

However, its use should be re-authorized, perhaps accompanied by " 

restrictions,

 " and a decision should be made public by Friday, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on Sunday.

(

With

AFP) 

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  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine