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Worry About Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Safety Persists

Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine

Worry about the safety of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen experimental human advenovirus COVID-19 vaccine persists after a ten-day pause on distribution of the vaccine earlier this year.1 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings of heart and neurological issues2 and, most recently, a published study suggesting that the J&J vaccine is far less effective against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-02 have added to public confidence issues.3 Despite acknowledged potential risks and public hesitancy about use of the vaccine, on July 22, 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researcher Hannah Rosenbaum told the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that the vaccine is still safe despite potential risks.4

In April 2021, federal health agencies called for a nationwide pause on the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to examine a blood clotting disorder that emerged in six women who received the vaccine.1 Ten days after issuing the pause, the FDA and CDC lifted the pause, reassuring the public that health officials had conducted “a thorough safety review.”5 Prior to the nationwide pause, several individual states including North Carolina, Colorado, and Georgia stopped distribution of the J&J vaccine after reports of adverse reactions, which included some hospitalizations.6 At the time Centura Health, a large Colorado healthcare organization, stated they would no longer administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at their drive-up locations, citing both shortages and the prevalence of adverse reactions.7

Those who have closely followed clinical trials of the experimental COVID-19 vaccines, which are now being distributed in the U.S. under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted to manufacturers by the FDA, know that mild to serious adverse reactions to the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine occurred throughout clinical trials. During these trials, which began last fall, over half of the participants experienced mild to moderate adverse reactions, while 20 volunteers suffered what were considered severe reactions. In October 2020, trials were paused “to evaluate an unexplained illness in a study participant.”8

In response to reports of the vaccine site shut downs, Business Insider reports that Johnson & Johnson stated any adverse reactions would be taken seriously and that “there is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of the people we serve.”9

J&J Aware of Asbestos Contaminating Baby Powder for Decades

Johnson and Johnson made that statement just months after the company’s regulatory filing revealed the company must set aside $3.9 billion to cover costs of lawsuits regarding its baby powder laced with asbestos.10 For decades, Johnson & Johnson was aware of talc contaminated with asbestos in their popular baby powder but denied and concealed that insider information from the public. Reuters reported that court documents, including company memos and other internal documents, reveal that Johnson & Johnson officials had knowledge of the asbestos contamination issue from 1971 to the early 2000s. The documents and court testimonies demonstrate that “company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public.”11

Newsweek reported that these highly publicized contaminated baby powder lawsuits have contributed to hesitancy about use of the J&J COVID vaccine, Johnson & Johnson refused to comment but the company stated that their vaccine adheres to the “highest bioethical standards and guidelines.”12

J&J Recalls Several Spray Sunscreens After Discovering Carcinogen Contamination

Last month, Johnson & Johnson recalled multiple spray sunscreens after “significantly detected” levels of the known carcinogen benzene was found in 40 of 78 tested products. The company advised consumers to discontinue use immediately and discard the products.13

J&J Paid Out Millions of Dollars for “False” Marketing Linked to Opioid Crisis

In 2019, an Oklahoma judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for their aggressive false marketing campaign that played a role in the opioid crisis, resulting in thousands of deaths.14

Oklahoma Judge Thad Balkman stated that over 326 million opioid pills, enough for every adult to have 110 pills, were dispensed to Oklahoma residents and that “4% of Oklahoma babies born in 2017 had neonatal abstinence syndrome.” Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter estimated that reversing the crisis will cost over $17 billion over the next 30 years.15

As reported in The New York Times, Abbe R. Gluck, JD, a Yale professor who teaches health policy and law, stated:

The critical finding is that Johnson & Johnson engaged in false, deceptive and misleading marketing.

Findings of the court hearings report that Johnson & Johnson sales staff made 150,000 visits to doctor’s offices, “focusing in particular on high-volume subscribers”.16 Various other U.S. cities and states brought forward lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and other pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. Payouts for Johnson & Johnson alone so far have totaled $5 billion.17

J&J Made “False and Misleading Claims” to Push Use Risperdal in Vulnerable Populations

Johnson & Johnson has also repeatedly found itself at the forefront of ongoing billion-dollar lawsuits for promoting the schizophrenia drug Risperdal for off-market uses not approved by the FDA. These unapproved uses included the controlling and treatment of behavioral issues in elderly nursing home residents, children, and individuals with mental disabilities. The company paid kickbacks to physicians to prescribe the drug.18

“J&J’s promotion of Risperdal for unapproved uses threatened the most vulnerable populations of our society–children, the elderly, and those with developmental disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney General Zane Memeger. “This historic settlement sends the message that drug manufacturers who place profits over patient care will face severe criminal and civil penalties.”18

The New York Times reported in April that Johnson & Johnson was planning to pursue clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine on other populations that were not included in initial clinical trials, including pregnant women and infants in the near future.19


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Click here to view References:

1 Weiland N, LaFraniere S, Zimmer C. Johnson & Johnson vaccinations paused after rare clotting cases emerge. The New York Times Apr. 13, 2021.
2 LaFraniere S, Weiland, N. FDA attached warning of rare nerve syndrome to Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The New York Times July 12, 2021.
3 Cannizzaro D. New study shows J&J vaccine way less effective against the dominating Delta variant. WILX July 26, 2021.
4 WI Web Staff. Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine worth risk, CDC says. Washington Informer July 26, 2021.
5 FDA News Release. FDA and CDC lift recommended pause on Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine use following thorough safety review. U.S. Food & Drug Administration Apr. 23, 2021.
6 Battist N. Georgia becomes third state to shut down Johnson & Johnson vaccine site after adverse reactions. CBS News Apr. 10, 2021.
7 Roznowski B. Centura Health no longer using Johnson & Johnson vaccine at three drive-up mass vaccination sites. The Denver Channel Apr. 9, 2021.
8 Raines K. Johnson & Johnson pauses phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial following ‘unexplained illness’. The Vaccine Reaction Oct. 19, 2020.
9 Davis C, McLaughlin K. Officials in Georgia and Colorado pause distribution of J&J vaccine after minor adverse reactions. Business Insider Apr. 9, 2021.
10 Manskar N. Johnson & Johnson sets aside $3.9B amid baby powder lawsuits. The New York Post Feb. 23, 2021.
11 Girion L. Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its baby powder. Reuters Dec. 14, 2018.
12 Dutton J. Johnson & Johnson’s talc lawsuits are fueling skepticism of its COVID vaccine. Newsweek Mar. 9, 2021.
13 Musil S. Johnson & Johnson recalls spray sunscreens after carcinogen discovery. CNet July 14, 2021.
14 Fortier J. & Mann, B. Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay Oklahoma $572 million in opioid trial. NPR Aug. 26, 2019.
15 Luthi S. Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $572M over opioid crisis. Modern Healthcare News Aug. 26, 2019.
16 Hoffman J. Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $572 million in landmark opioid trial. The New York Times Aug. 26, 2019.
17 Liu A. Johnson & Johnson adds $1B to opioid lawsuits settlement pool, bringing total to $5B. Fierce Pharma Oct. 13, 2020.
18 Office of Public Affairs: Department of Justice. Johnson & Johnson to pay more than $2.2 billion to resolve criminal and civil investigations. The United Stated Department of Justice Nov. 4, 2013.
19 Kolata G. Johnson and Johnson has planned trials of its vaccine that will include infants. The New York Times Feb. 28, 2021.

9 Responses

  1. I had the J&J vaccine several months ago, as I figured the two mRNA vaccines might be riskier. I had no adverse effects and I’m still Covid free. So far so good. At 78 and in poor health, with most of the comorbidities, J&J seemed to be my best option at the time. Who knows how this will play out in the future. I’m hoping for divine intervention / LOL. Worth noting, I read Dr. Mercola’s newsletter every day and I hold his views in high regard.

  2. I don’t trust J and J who owned Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. until 2014 and made mercury containing RhoGAM shots for RH negative woman. They were made with mercury until 2001, and on the market until 2003. This shot is given to pregnant women and has been linked to children developing autism.

  3. i worry about All Vaccin but J&J its more. Who knows how this will play out in the future.
    No one know its a risk to do vaccin and its a risk to don’t .
    me too I read Dr. Mercola’s newsletter every day and i like. I hope best. thank you for all laboratory .

  4. J&J are SERIAL CONVICTED FELONS for lying about their products and harming thousands . I was permanently harmed by Levaquin [now recalled ], best friend has ovarian cancer from Shower to Shower for 20 years , and they have multiple other drugs they have had to pay out for like Risperadol growing breasts on little boys, recent recalls of their spray sun screens, and now they have their FIRST ever vaccine with NO LIABILITY! No thanks to the Clot Shot.

  5. response to Martin Wolff: I, too, got the J&J vaccine several months ago because of the concern you raised. I say this as someone who has never had a flu shot (I’m 70) and will take only rare vaccines, such as a tetanus shot as needed. I made the choice in the same way as I evaluate my risk when dealing with flu and the flu vaccine on an annual basis. I have had no subsequent issues.

    In looking at possible side effects, including the CVST blood clots in the brain, I discovered that the risk is about 5 per million vaccines for these with J&J (4.4 per million with mRNA.), However, a similar condition involving the splanchnic vein in the abdomen has resulted in about 44 events per million vaccines with the mRNA vaccines while J&J has had only 1,6 events per million. Don’t see much reporting about that, do you?

    Beyond all that is the amount of death from Covid. As annoyed as I get with the media at times on reporting, there is so much information from front line health workers and family members of those afflicted. And so many people dying. All those people aren’t lying or making Covid cases up. The Delta variant raised the stakes and now the hospitals are full again. I see people including professionals outside of the frontliners who are parsing the information, claiming that it is old, sick people who are dying (thinking themselves invincible). There are a lot of faulty facts out there and lots of complex decisions needing to be made, including when you have children.

    I would recommend finding a medical professional you can trust on this issue. Avoid any politicians or so-called public health experts who seem to change their mind with every change in the prevailing winds, i.e. spin theories, not new evidence. My expert would be someone who is not afraid to examine the evidence and draw appropriate conclusions rather than approach it with mind made up. It is someone who clearly understands newer data or studies and does not overdraw conclusions to make a point. While I listen to a variety of experts on covid including engineers with expertise in air quality and virus spreading, my current medical expert is Dr. John Campbell, a Ph.D. nurse who is English but has worked and taught all over the world for decades. He’s on Youtube and regularly discusses data from the US. He is pro Covid vaccination, but regularly brings up studies that show side effects or new vaccine evidence, and recently had an episode on new studies showing the efficacy of ivermectin.

    My point is that everyone has to decide for him or herself, but COVID does not play favorites or do deals. So find someone you can really trust on this issue, but be prepared to change your mind if the data or evidence supports a difference conclusion. In my case, I had the vaccine and can’t go back. I’m not regretting it. However, there is already discussion about boosters. An epidemiologist whom I’ve found to be very sensible did the math on these. She explained her assumptions and showed her work. Her opinion is that the there is more protection in getting the people who are partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated than to start giving boosters to fully vaccinated people. What that means for me is that there is no societal reason or personal reason to think about a booster. That is also consistent with the J&J producers saying there is no need for a booster.

    Thanks for your comment, Mr. Wolff.

  6. I’ve known that talc usually has asbestos in it since the 1970s. They may not have been advertising it, but it was hardly ever a big secret. It’s the same with thimerisol preservative. Maybe the more appropriate story is, “People enjoy being ignorant.”

  7. Hi. i had the J&J vaccine on the 3rd of August,2021 i felt no any side effect til i am just fine . My only concern is that is true that after getting J&J vaccine it renders Men as infertile . How true is it can anyone please assist in addressing this fear among Men that leads to be hesitant in getting the jab

  8. You know, people act like strange reactions are necessarily temporary signs. People also act like science is the ultimate authority. These are contradictory actions. Contradictions do not exist. Strange reactions are strange because they do not correspond to the bodily systems a vaccine has an effect on. Therefore, the strange reaction is an indicator that the shot is not a vaccine. Also, it is well-known that some kinds of injury do not cause symptoms until later.

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