
This week, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following a few instances of blood clots within weeks of vaccination, according to a joint statement.
The news is of significance for immunocompromised patients, who are at a greater risk of COVID-19.
Michael C. Schweitz, MD, a rheumatologist with Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates of Palm Beach and a medical advisor to CreakyJoints, told me in an interview that he believes it’s important for patients with rheumatic disease to be vaccinated due to the significant risk that COVID-19 poses.
“I’m still recommending that patients get either Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine. As far as the J&J vaccine goes, I think the pause is a good idea to really get into the details of the significant problem, although we’re talking about 1 in a million. So these thrombotic events are so far are very limited, very rare, but serious,” he said.
Vinicius Domingues, MD, a rheumatologist in Daytona Beach, Fla., and medical advisor to CreakyJoints, told me that he does not believe the latest news means immunocompromised patients shouldn’t get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and noted that more information will soon be available.
He recommends that doctors treating patients with rheumatic disease “inform their patients with more recent available data. I do believe the CDC and FDA will issue guidance very soon. This is a developing story still,” he noted. Read more of what Dr. Schweitz and Dr. Domingues had to say.
In Case You Missed It:
FDA, CDC: Pause Johnson & Johnson Vax—What This Means for Immunocompromised Patients
Here’s What Rheumatologists Have to Say About the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Hydroxychloroquine Improves Vascular Outcomes in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus