It was believed that Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be a game-changer as it requires only one shot, but back-to-back setbacks to Johnson & Johnson vaccine is fueling vaccine hesitancy.
In a major development, the Food and Drug Administration said the single shot Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine increases the risk of a rare neurological condition known as Guillain–Barré syndrome.
“Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis,” says FDA.
In June, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had asked Johnson & Johnson to discard 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine manufactured at the Baltimore plant in the United States because of manufacturing defects.
A total of 75 million doses were discarded. The fate of over 100 million other doses of Johnson & Johnson is undecided.
About 13 million people have been administered Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Earlier, it was expected that since Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a single shot, it would considerably increase the pace of vaccination.
In April, FDA had warned about the increased risk of blood clots in people who have been administered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky had promised 400 million doses to the African Union.
