Johnson&Johnson decided to delay its rollout in the bloc’s 27 member states last week,after regulators in the US called for a pause following concerns about the potential serious side effect.
The EMA’s recommendation is not binding,but it is the first indication of what might happen next with the European rollout of the much-anticipated,single-shot vaccine that’s already been given to nearly eight million people in the United States. The agency said that regulators in individual EU member states should decide how to proceed taking into account their particular case load and vaccine availability.
Meanwhile,a German scientist studying the extremely rare blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine said Johnson&Johnson had agreed to work with him on his research.
Andreas Greinacher,a transfusion medicine expert at Greifswald University,wants J&J vaccine samples to study in his lab. Since mid-March his team has been analysing specimens from people who suffered clots after getting AstraZeneca’s shot.
“We agreed today with[J&J] that we will work together,” Greinacher said during a news conference. “My biggest need,which I’ve expressed to the company,is I would like to get access to the vaccine,because the J&J vaccine is not available in Germany.”
Johnson&Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.