Oregon health officials said a woman died this week after receiving the Johnson & Johnson CCP virus vaccine, although the agency did not say whether the two events were linked.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) said that they received information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the woman’s death, adding that the agency is now investigating the matter. They only described the woman as being in her 50s.
She received the J&J single-shot vaccine before the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a pause earlier in April on using the vaccine due to about a half-dozen reports of blood clots out of 7 million doses administered so far. Officials with the CDC are scheduled to hold a meeting Friday to discuss how to proceed.
“Until the investigation is complete,” OHA’s release said, “it cannot be concluded whether her death is related to the vaccine.”
The woman developed a rare type of blood clot within two weeks of getting the J&J vaccine, according to the OHA in a news release on Thursday.
“This blood clot was seen in combination with very low platelets. Prior to the issuance of the pause, cases of this serious blood clot had been identified among six women around the country who received the vaccine,” according to the release.
OHA noted that the death will be added to the CDC’s advisory committee regarding “evidence of potential risk” associated with the J&J vaccine.
The Epoch Times has contacted J&J for comment.
The CCP virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, causes COVID-19.
Health officials in Oregon downplayed the risk between the J&J shot and blood clots.
“I want to emphasize at this time that we do not know if the Oregon woman’s death is related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” Dr. Shimi Sharief, a senior health advisor for OHA, told CBS6. “We’re disclosing this information for transparency, as this will be one of the cases reviewed at the discussion.”
As the CDC’s advisory panel is slated to meet Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci—the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the federal government’s public face for its efforts in responding to the pandemic—said he believes the J&J vaccine will likely be used with a warning or restriction.
“My estimate is that we will continue to use it in some form,” Fauci told “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “I doubt very seriously if they just cancel it. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment.”
