ACIP will meet today, April 14, following FDA and CDC's joint call to pause use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) to assess relationship with a rare and serious type of blood clot

CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will hold an emergency meeting today, April 14, from 1:30–4:30 p.m. (ET). This meeting follows the FDA and CDC jointly calling for a pause in use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) while the relationship between Janssen’s vaccine and a rare type of blood clot is investigated further and according to the FDA and CDC joint press release:

… to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.

The FDA and CDC announced in their April 13 joint press release that six women between age 18 and 48 years in the United States have developed a rare disorder involving blood clots 6–13 days after a single dose of the Janssen vaccine. During this time, 6.8 million American adults received this vaccine. According to the FDA and CDC joint press release:
 
In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia)…Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered.

FDA and CDC are assembling and analyzing additional data. The FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheets for recipients and healthcare personnel are being revised to describe the risk.
 
People who have received the Janssen vaccine and who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their healthcare provider. As always, healthcare professionals should report all adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.

CDC’s ACIP will convene by webinar today, April 14, from 1:30–4:30 p.m. (ET) to review these six cases and other available data.

No registration is required to watch the live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for public comment are described at the website.

Watch the virtual ACIP meeting. 

Related Links

• CDC/FDA press release: Joint CDC and FDA Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine (4/13/21)
• CDC's Health Alert Network (HAN): Cases of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia after Receipt of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine (4/13/21)
• ACIP gateway page for recordings and content from previous meetings, as well as information about future meetings
• FDA’s COVID-19 Vaccines gateway page

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National Infant Immunization Week is April 24–May 1; prepare using CDC's 2021 digital media toolkit

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 25–May 2, highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrates the achievements of immunization partners. This year, because of the pandemic, it’s critical to ensure that families stay on track for their children’s routine checkups.

Since 1994, hundreds of U.S. communities have joined together during NIIW to celebrate the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our children, communities, and public health. Giving babies and toddlers the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases.



Save time by using CDC's 2021 NIIW Digital Media Toolkit to plan and implement your organization's NIIW activities. The toolkit includes updated logos, sample social media content, social graphics, and key messages. Please share them, using the hashtag #ivax2protect. 

Related Links

• CDC's National Infant Immunization Week gateway page
• CDC's 2021 NIIW Digital Media Toolkit gateway page
• IAC's Parent Handouts gateway page