Blood Clots and the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The single-dose vaccine has been paused “out of an abundance of caution” related to links between the shot and deadly blood clotting.
Citing blood clot concerns, federal health agencies today (April 13. 2021) recommended that Johnson & Johnson suspend the use of their single-dose COVID-19 vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that it needs time to review six cases of "a rare and severe type of blood clot" in people who received the vaccine. As of yesterday, nearly seven million doses of the single-dose vaccine have been given across the United States and make up less than five percent of vaccinations administered.
The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are at this moment investigating incidences of young women between the ages of 18 and 48 years old developing a blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), six to 13 days after vaccination. One woman has died, and another is currently hospitalized in critical condition.
Treatment for CVST Blood Clot
Typically, treatment for a blood clot is the anticoagulant drug called heparin. However, patients with CVST do not simply have blood clots, they also have lower platelet levels. Heparin can raise the risk of increased heavy bleeding, making it harder for blood to clot. As such, this specific type of blood clot requires alternative treatments.
Blood Clots and COVID-19
During the past year, as the medical profession has rushed to understand the new and deadly virus, it became apparent that blood clot issues play a role in deaths associated with the coronavirus. A study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that 70 percent of those who die from COVID-19 had blood clots blocking small vessels.
Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) physician Zoe Deol, MD, FACS, DABVLM, first reported on the link between COVID-19 and blood clots in a May 2020 post. In it she points to “COVID-19 disease has some similarities to the SARS COVI-1 virus we saw in 2003, in that both cause massive inflammation, and the formation of clots in large and small blood vessels throughout the body.”
Deep Vein Thrombosis
CVR is committed to raising awareness about and screening for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a possible side effect of late-stage vein disease. DVT is when a blood clot breaks loose from the vein wall and travels to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE). A PE can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, heart strain, and sudden death.
CVR offers a STAT DVT rule-out program to ensure patients with a suspected DVT can be evaluated quickly and immediate intervention provided. Call your physician or CVR at 240-965-3915 to schedule this important health evaluation.