Latvia Halts Use Of J&J Vaccines - Health Minister

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) Latvia will suspend plans to roll-out the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following advice from both US regulators and the company itself, Health Minister Daniels Pavluts said.

"We will not be able to start vaccination next week with the Johnson & Johnson drug," Pavluts said on Tuesday. "While the responsible authorities in the United States are thoroughly investigating this issue, as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) did with AstraZeneca, we received information that the manufacturer is asking us not to use this vaccine yet.

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The US food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a halt to the use of the vaccine after six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed a rare blood clotting disorder shortly after receiving the vaccination. Johnson & Johnson itself made the decision to pause the distribution of the vaccine to Europe for the time being.

In the meantime, Latvia will have to explore other options to vaccinate its citizens, Pavluts added.

Latvia has previously stated that it would consider the Russian Sputnik V vaccine if it were to be recommended for approval by EMA.