Denmark scraps Johnson & Johnson from vaccination campaign

Denmark scraps Johnson & Johnson from vaccination campaign
Credit: Belga

Denmark will no longer use the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in its vaccination strategy, the Danish Health Institute announced on Monday.

The decision follows confirmation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last month that there was a "possible link" between blood clots in combination with a low platelet count and the vaccine.

"The Danish National Health Authority has concluded that the benefits of using Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine do not outweigh the risk of causing the possible side effect," it said in a statement.

"Therefore, it will continue the Danish mass vaccination programme against Covid-19 without Johnson & Johnson's vaccine," the statement added.

However, it concerns a “very rare side effect" of the vaccine, according to the EMA, which stressed that the advantages of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks.

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The Danish Health Institute believes that the epidemic in Denmark is currently well under control, and good progress is being made with the other coronavirus vaccines.

Last month, Denmark was also the first country to decide it would no longer administer AstraZeneca's vaccine, after the EMA came to a similar conclusion about a "possible link."

The scrapping of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will cause some delays in the Danish vaccination campaign, with the latest target group, consisting of Danes aged between 25 and 39, possibly having to wait up to four weeks longer for a first shot.

However, the health institute did not rule out that the vaccine could still be administered later "if the situation in Denmark changes."

Denmark had ordered some seven million Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and they will likely still be available for people who want them, as is already the case for AstraZeneca's jabs.

The Brussels Times


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