Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
J&J's Woes Continue
New York Post: CDC Probing ‘Handful’ Of New Potential J&J Vaccine Reactions
The CDC is investigating a "handful" of potential additional cases of severe side effects involving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the agency’s chief said Monday. Use of the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was halted in the US last week amid reports that six women in the country developed dangerous blood clots — including one who died — after receiving the immunization. CDC chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky — asked at a White House press briefing if there were any more reports of "severe adverse effects" involving J&J doses in the US — replied, "There have been a handful of cases — not an overwhelming number of cases. (Sheehy, 4/19)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Plant Pauses COVID Vaccine Production Amid FDA Inspection After Johnson & Johnson Mistake
Emergent BioSolutions confirmed Monday that it has temporarily stopped production of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its East Baltimore plant at the request of government regulators looking into a mistake at the facility that led to the disposal of millions of doses. The news is the latest setback for the plant, for Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions and for one of three vaccines crucial to helping end the coronavirus pandemic. (Cohn, 4/19)
AP: EU Drug Regulator Prepares To Issue Advice On J&J COVID Shot
Experts at the European Medicines Agency are preparing to present the conclusions of their investigation later on Tuesday into possible links between the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and very rare cases of unusual clotting disorders detected in the U.S. Last week, J&J halted its European rollout of its one-dose vaccine after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended officials pause its use while the rare blood clot cases are examined. Officials identified six cases of the highly unusual blood clots among nearly 7 million people who were immunized with the shot in the U.S. (Cheng, 4/20)
In related news about Johnson & Johnson —
The Washington Post: The Race To Untangle The Secrets Of Rare, Severe Blood Clots After Johnson & Johnson Vaccination
When an otherwise healthy 48-year-old Nebraska woman arrived at an emergency room after three days of abdominal pain and malaise, doctors discovered a life-threatening puzzle. Her platelets, the colorless blood cells that clump to form clots, had plummeted. But a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis revealed extensive blood clots. Her medical team raced to untangle the seemingly paradoxical combination of symptoms. Even as they treated the patient with a common blood thinner, more clots appeared — in her brain and in the blood vessels around her liver and spleen. (Johnson, 4/19)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Woman Had 3 Brain Surgeries For Clots After J&J Vaccine Shot
An 18-year-old Clark County woman who became critically ill after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has undergone three brain surgeries related to dangerous blood clots, a spokesman for the patient’s family said on Monday. The young woman, Emma Burkey, began to feel ill about a week after being vaccinated on or about April 1, eventually experiencing seizures that sent her to the hospital, spokesman Bret Johnson said. Burkey was first treated at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus, in Henderson before being airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center in Southern California for specialized care. Her parents, Russ and Kathy, are at her bedside, but only for a brief period each day due to COVID-19 restrictions. (Hynes, 4/19)
Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: Americans Say J&J Pause Was The Right Call
Most Americans support the pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and so far there's no evidence that it's leading to broader vaccine hesitancy, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. In our weekly national survey, 91% of respondents were aware of the temporary pause recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention. Of those, 88% said the pause was a responsible decision. (Talev, 4/20)
CBS News: Illinois And OxFam Ask Shareholders To Reject Johnson & Johnson CEO's $30 Million Payday
The fight over Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky's $30 million payday is heating up. The state of Illinois, charitable organization OxFam and several religious organizations have filed letters with the Securities and Exchange Commission opposing his pay. The letters urge shareholders to vote no on a "say on pay" proposal set for consideration at J&J's annual shareholder meeting on April 22. Officials in Illinois, which owns J&J stock in its municipal retirement fund, take issue with how the company computed Gorsky's 2020 pay. They said it is unfair to exclude the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical company has paid to settle legal claims related to its role in the opioid epidemic. Illinois is asking J&J to cut Gorsky's pay by at least $2 million. (Gandel, 4/19)
