By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said local officials have stopped administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for some time now following a United States regulator’s advisory that it is limiting use of the jab.

The US Food and Drug Administration limited the authorised use of the vaccine to individuals 18 and older for people authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to individuals 18 and older who elect to receive the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

“After conducting an updated analysis, evaluation and investigation of reported cases, the FDA has determined that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a syndrome of rare and potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets with onset of symptoms approximately one to two weeks following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, warrants limiting the authorized use of the vaccine,” a statement by the FDA said. Dr Darville told The Tribune officials have stopped administering Johnson and Johnson vaccine locally for “sometime now”, but his ministry has not received blood clot risk from any Bahamians to his knowledge at that point.

Asked how long ago he estimated the country stopped administering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the minister said he thought it was the latter part of last year.

“Well as it stands right now we are not administering any Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” the minister said.”We had supplies of the Johnson & Johnson and there was very little appetite in the country for that particular vaccine.

“We know that there is some thrombosis, acute thrombosis associated with that vaccine that the FDA has highlighted. For The Bahamas, we have about 11,800 individuals who received it locally. We know that the symptoms associated with the Johnson and Johnson is an acute symptom that would manifest itself within three weeks of being administered.

“For us, fortunately, we have stopped administering Johnson and Johnson locally for sometime now. For those individuals who have been vaccinated, the symptoms would be more than long term. So, we are not too concerned but from that notification the question is whether we would use it in the country again. You never say never but as we stand right now the vaccination committee are following the guidelines outlined by the FDA.”

The vaccine tracker as of April 30, 2022, shows 165,653 persons have been fully vaccinated, including J&J. This total includes Bahamians and residents who were fully vaccinated aboard and registered on the vax.gov.bs platform.