The rare Guillain-Barré syndrome developed around 100 people out of more than twelve million who had been vaccinated with the corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. The US Medicines Agency added a warning for the vaccine.
The US drug agency FDA assumes an “increased risk” of a rare nerve disease when vaccinated with the corona vaccine from the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. The FDA updated its warning on Monday after dozens of cases of so-called Guillain-Barré syndrome were reported.
According to informed sources, there are 100 preliminary reports of the occurrence of the neurological disease with symptoms of paralysis – with more than 12.5 million J&J vaccine doses administered. In 95 cases, the patients had to be hospitalized. A person died.
According to the FDA, the vaccine hasn’t been proven to cause the disease. However, the available data suggest a connection.
There are between 3,000 and 6,000 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the United States annually. The inflammatory neurological disease leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. Most patients recover. The syndrome has also been observed with some flu vaccinations. Infections are another trigger. The syndrome has also been observed after Covid 19 illnesses.
Another setback
The FDA’s new warning is another setback for Johnson & Johnson. In April, the US pharmaceutical company’s use of the corona vaccine was temporarily suspended after isolated cases of rare blood clots occurred, especially among younger women. However, the authorities concluded that the benefits of vaccination clearly outweighed the risks. A major production breakdown at a plant in the US city of Baltimore also made headlines.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach evaluates the warning as “further bad news” for the J&J vaccine. However, he pointed out that the complication was “very rare”. The mRNA vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer, which forms the backbone of the German vaccination campaign, is “not affected”.
The vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, of which only one dose is required, plays a subordinate role in the vaccination campaign in the USA. So far, fewer than 13 million vaccine doses have been given. There are already more than 185 million of the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer, and more than 135 million of the vaccine from the biotech company Moderna.
In Germany, too, the J&J vaccine plays a subordinate role with around 2.1 million inoculated doses. Overall, have been administered in Germany so far.
