The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 23 recommended resuming use of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine after a temporary pause.
The agencies on April 13 halted administration of this vaccine after reports of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a condition involving blood clots with low platelets, in adult women younger than 50 years old. After a data review, the agencies determined the benefits of the Janssen vaccine outweigh its risks, and the vaccine now will include a warning about increased risk of TTS in women younger than 50.
As of April 25, 42.2 percent of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine and 28.5 percent were fully vaccinated.
CDC Study: COVID-19 Patients Have Continued New Health Care Needs
A study in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on April 23 highlights the potential for new health conditions in patients who had COVID-19.
The study followed 3,171 nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients at Kaiser Permanente Georgia for a period of 28 to 180 days after diagnosis. Of these patients, 69 percent had one or more outpatient visits after diagnosis, 68 percent had a visit for a new primary diagnosis, and 38 percent had a new specialist visit. Active COVID-19 diagnoses and symptoms potentially related to COVID-19 were among the top 20 new visit diagnoses.
While researchers cannot draw a direct link between new diagnoses and COVID-19 diagnoses, the data suggest COVID-19 patients have continued health care needs months after diagnosis.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the pandemic.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
