A DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR THE VACCINE ROLLOUT

Game-changer jab put on hold over clot fears

IRELAND’S vaccine rollout was dealt a double blow last night when Johnson & Johnson halted deliveries of its single-dose Covid jab over blood clot fears.

The J&J jab had been described as a game-changer for the rollout – given only one shot is required.

The worrying setback came a day after health authorities limited use of the AstraZeneca jab to only people aged over 60, with thousands of AstraZeneca vaccinations planned

for this week cancelled.

Health experts have now warned that these setbacks risk knocking wider public confidence in vaccines – slowing their uptake and the easing of lockdown.

Indeed, Labour leader Alan Kelly said he feared that the public was losing faith in the Covid vaccines due to the flagged health risks, as he said he had been inundated with concerns from citizens now shunning their jab appointments.

And Health Minister Stephen Donnelly offered no solace following the latest J&J blow.

He warned any long-term restrictions on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Ireland would have a ‘serious’ impact on the immunisation programme.

Johnson & Johnson took the decision to halt its deliveries after US authorities recommended that clinics ‘pause’ the use of the jab out of an ‘abundance of caution’. Regulators said they were investigating clots in six women aged 18 to 48 that occurred six to 13 days after they were vaccinated

‘You can’t vaccinate as many’

– with one proving fatal.

But the risk could be less than one in a million as more than 6.8million J&J doses have already been administered in the US.

The rare potential side effects match those reported following analysis of the AstraZeneca jab.

Minister Donnelly last night said J&J’s single-dose jab – seen as a game-changer – was a ‘big part’ of Ireland’s vaccine strategy.

The first batches of the J&J jab only arrived in Europe this week and Ireland was due to get around 40,000 doses within days. Around 600,000 doses were due to arrive here by June out of a total order in excess of 2million jabs.

Mr Donnelly said the two setbacks had presented health authorities with a ‘logistical headache’. ‘There’s no question that if it follows through that there are restrictions [on J&J jabs], that would require serious reprofiling of the programme,’ the Health Minister told RTÉ’s Six One News yesterday.

Asked if restrictions on the product would delay the vaccine programme, and consequently the reopening of society, Mr Donnelly replied: ‘If we had to fully pull the... Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there’s no question, you can’t vaccinate as many people with less vaccines.’

The European medicines watchdog yesterday said it was aware of a decision by its US counterpart to pause the administration of J&J vaccine due to rare instances of blood clots.

In a statement, the European Medicines Agency said it is not clear there is a link between the J&J vaccine and the incidents in the US. The EMA added its safety committee is continuing a review announced last week.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is to meet the vaccine task force ahead of a Cabinet meeting today.

It comes as thousands of AstraZeneca vaccinations planned for this week were cancelled.

The HSE had advised hospital groups and community healthcare organisations administering the AZ jab to cancel their immunisation clinics for the rest of the week. Mr Donnelly said he was working with officials on an updated rollout plan and that people who had AstraZeneca appointments cancelled would

hear later in the week about a rescheduled timetable for getting different jabs.

‘It’s incumbent upon us to move very quickly, so later this week we will have a reprofiled programme and we will be able to tell all of these groups of people when they can expect to be contacted,’ he added.

The Government’s goal of administering 180,000 jabs this week will now be missed.

Earlier, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said officials will know in the coming days whether 80% of the adult population will be able to receive their first vaccine by June as planned.

He said the decision from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) to limit use of AstraZeneca had been a ‘difficult’ one.

‘There are well over half a million people over the age of 60 yet to be vaccinated so we will make good use of it,’ he told Newstalk of the AZ surplus.

Mr Varadkar, who is a qualified doctor, said that he would have no hesitation recommending AstraZeneca to people over the age of 60. ‘The risk of getting this [side effect] is minuscule compared to getting Covid,’ he added. ‘I would take it myself, absolutely.’

Labour leader Mr Kelly told the Dáil how he had been ‘inundated’ with messages from people questioning whether or not they should take the vaccine if offered it.

He questioned whether the NIAC considered vaccine hesitancy before making its decision to limit the AZ vaccine.

‘In order for us to meet our plans by June, we are expecting people who are in the 60-to69 cohort to take the AstraZeneca vaccine,’ Mr Kelly said.

‘All public reps have been inundated [...] with people who are saying they will not take it. ‘I believe they should take it but it is deeply worrying, but also understandable, given the big decision that was made by NIAC yesterday.’

Meanwhile, a further 18 deaths of people infected with Covid-19 and another 358 new cases of the virus in the country were announced yesterday.

In total, 1.418million of Ireland’s total expected Covid-19 vaccine deliveries over the next three months are either AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson jabs. This equates to 36% of expected supplies.

Government sources have indicated one potential avenue to speed up the vaccine rollout again would be to space the dosing between other shots out, as has been done in other jurisdictions. However, such a decision would have to be taken following NIAC advice.

The HSE confirmed last night that all AstraZeneca vaccine clinics are cancelled for the rest of the week.

A spokesperson was unable to tell the Irish Daily Mail, however, how many people would be affected by the cancellations.

Immunisation clinics arranged for certain people aged 60 to 69 can continue.

Leading immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill yesterday warned that people’s lives ‘will be put in danger’ if the AstraZeneca issues affect the national rollout.