The first 60,000 doses of Johnson&Johnson vaccine reached Romania

The first 60,000 doses of vaccine against Covid-19 produced by Johnson&Johnson have reached Romania on Wednesday morning, through the border checkpoint Nădlac II, according to RoVaccinare platform. The Romanian authorities are now waiting for the European Medicine Agency’s recommendations regarding the administration of the new vaccine.

However, the US pharma giant announced Tuesday that it had decided to postpone the deployment of its anti-Covid vaccine in Europe. The European Commission has asked for clarifications following “the unexpected announcement”.

The decision comes after the US medical authorities have recommended the temporary suspension of the Johnson&Johnson jab in the U.S. during an investigation on blood clots after its use. 6.8 million doses of this vaccine have been administered so far in the United States, with 6 cases of thrombosis appearing on women aged 18 to 48. One woman has passed away and another one was hospitalized in critical condition.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, administered in one single shot, was authorized by EMA, but it has not yet been used in the EU.

The coordinator of the national vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said on Tuesday that Romanian authorities are waiting for EMA’s clarifications before starting the immunization with the Johnson&Johnson jab.