- The CDC is investigating the death of an Oregon woman who recently received the J&J vaccine.
- The woman developed a rare blood clot within two weeks of getting her shot.
- For now, there’s no definitive link between her death and the vaccine.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the death of an Oregon woman who developed a rare, but serious blood clot within two weeks of receiving Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced Thursday.
The woman, who was in her 50s, received her shot before US regulators paused the distribution of J&J’s vaccine last week.
The pause followed six reports of central venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a rare blood clot that forms in the brain, among women ages 18 and 48 who had received J&J’s shot. The women developed the clots within two weeks of being vaccinated. They also reported low levels of platelets – colorless blood cells that help clots form.
In the statement, the OHA said the Oregon woman had the same combination of CVST and low platelets.
Dr. Shimi Sharief, senior health advisor with the OHA, told reporters that the woman’s symptoms were consistent with that of the other rare blood clot cases. Symptoms for this type of clot include severe and unusual headache, shortness of breath, stroke-like symptoms, abdominal pain, and small microbleeds.
Sharief emphasized that the possible adverse effect is very rare.
The CDC is still investigating whether CVST cases are related to the J&J vaccine. On Friday, an independent advisory panel for the CDC will vote on whether to end the pause on the shot – 10 days after the recommendation was issued.
The death of the Oregon woman will be discussed at that meeting.
She is the second death associated with rare blood clots following the J&J vaccine: A 45-year-old woman in Virginia also died after receiving the shot in March.
More than 8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the US. Sharief said that, to her knowledge, Oregon health authorities are not investigating any other cases in the state.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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