CDC confirms about 100 ‘preliminary reports’ of Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that it’s investigating the possibility that Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine can cause a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), while J&J confirmed it is “in discussions” with federal agencies.
A spokesperson for the CDC told several news outlets on July 12 that the risk of developing the neurological disorder is very slim and is outweighed by the benefits of the J&J vaccine. The agency is investigating reports linking the vaccine to GBS, the spokesperson noted.
“Reports of GBS after receipt of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) are rare, but do likely indicate a small possible risk of this side effect following this vaccine,” the CDC spokesperson said in a statement. “Around 100 preliminary reports of GBS have been detected in VAERS after 12.8 million doses of J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine administered. These cases have largely been reported about two weeks after vaccination and mostly in males, many aged 50 years and older.”
According to the federal health agency, GBS is a neurological disorder when the body’s immune systems damage nerve cells and cause muscle weakness. In some cases, the disorder can cause paralysis, says the Mayo Clinic, noting that “most people with the condition must be hospitalized to receive treatment.”
“Each year in the United States, an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people develop GBS; it is typically triggered by a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. Most people fully recover from GBS,” the CDC spokesperson told news outlets on July 12.
J&J, in a statement on Monday, confirmed it has “been in discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulators about rare cases of the neurological disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome, that have been reported following vaccination with the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.”
“The chance of having this occur is very low,” the statement added, “and the rate of reported cases exceeds the background rate by a small degree.”
GBS has been linked as a rare side effect to various vaccines, including one that was developed to combat the swine flu in 1976, according to the UK National Health Services website.
Other than the CDC’s statement announcing the link, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to add a warning to J&J’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, according to The Washington Post, citing several officials it didn’t identify. The Epoch Times couldn’t independently verify the Post’s claims.
Earlier this year, the CDC and FDA recommended halting usage of the J&J vaccine after reports of blood clots emerged among some individuals who had received it. Weeks later, the two agencies said that the vaccine could again be used, but with an FDA warning.
“This pause was essential to our ability to inform the public, inform physicians, and acquire more data for presentation and for analysis,” Dr. José Romero, chairman of the CDC’s Committee of Immunizations, said in April. The vote was 10–4 in favor of recommending the vaccine to adults who are 18 or older. There was one abstention.
COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
The CDC, FDA, and J&J didn’t respond to requests for comment by press time.
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