- A few days after the government imposed a pause on the use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), South Africa was urged by its health regulator to lift the ban subject to certain conditions.
- Last week, South Africa decided to voluntarily suspend the vaccinations with JNJ’s single-dose shot after the U.S. health authorities recommended a halt to the vaccine’s use in its rollout citing extremely rare cases of blood clots following the inoculation.
- At the time, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said that there were no blood clot events linked to the vaccine which was given to healthcare workers in a research study.
- After a review of its safety data and adverse events reported in the U.S., South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPR) ‘has recommended that the pause in the Sisonke study be lifted, provided that specific conditions are met,’ the regulator said in a statement.
- The conditions include increased screening and monitoring of study subjects susceptible to blood clot formation and safe management of those who develop the condition after the inoculation.
- Previously, Cantor Fitzgerald expected CDC to issue age and gender-specific recommendations to lift the halt of JNJ’s COVID-19 vaccine in the country.