PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon woman died after receiving the Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials said Thursday.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, the woman, who was in her 50s, died after having been vaccinated at some point before federal officials called for a nationwide pause to give medical experts time to study six cases of other Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients who experienced life-threatening blood clots.
The fate of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is scheduled to be discussed publicly in an advisory group meeting Friday of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Washington Post reported.
Oregon investigating whether Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine caused woman’s death https://t.co/AkkxuolA6c pic.twitter.com/qUQGFGmgsQ
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) April 22, 2021
The OHA said the Oregon woman “developed a rare but serious blood clot within two weeks following vaccination,” The Oregonian reported. Health officials did not say what part of the state the woman was from, adding they were investigating whether her death was directly caused by the vaccine, the newspaper reported.
“Until the investigation is complete, it cannot be concluded whether her death is related to the vaccine,” the OHA said in a news release.
>> Coronavirus: US health agencies call for pause in use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
According to the OHA, the CDC learned about the woman’s death on Sunday through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a national agency used to collect reports of adverse reactions after vaccinations, KATU reported. OHA officials were notified Tuesday, according to state officials, who did not give the woman’s date of death, The Oregonian reported.
Health care providers are required to report certain adverse events after COVID-19 vaccines, in accordance with the emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines, the television station reported.
“The case in Oregon will add to the evidence of potential risk associated with Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” the OHA said in a news release. “The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will review the data accumulated to date and weigh the risks and benefits of the vaccine.”
The CDC is leaning toward recommending that use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should resume, possibly as soon as this weekend, the Post reported. The move would include a new warning about a rare complication involving blood clots but probably not call for age restrictions.
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Cox Media Group
