Health Team

Health experts: Blood clots from J&J vaccine and birth control are very different

Six women vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have experienced a rare and dangerous blood clot. Experts say there's a difference between the complication and other common blood clots.

Posted Updated

By
Kirsten Gutierrez
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Six women vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have experienced rare and dangerous blood clotting.

Experts say there's a difference between that complication and other common blood clots.

Dr. Gow Arepally, who studies diseases related to blood, said that, when it comes to blood clots, the risk varies. She adds that the complication seen in six Johnson & Johnson patients is concerning but extremely rare.

"[The complications] are very serious. This has led to fatalities," said Arepally.

The blood clot connected to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. It differs from blot clots you’d see from birth control.

"These clots occur in unusual locations from the typical blood clots that are associated with birth control," explained Arepally. "So, whereas most clotting that occurs from birth control pills occurs in the leg or lungs, a lot of the reported cases [from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine] are in the brain."

Aside from the location of the clots, other differing factors include low platelet counts and the way it’s treated.

"This is more rare and actually requires not an anti-coagulant, but rather a different immune-mediated treatment, and it's really important for our medical community to understand that as well as have high suspicions for putting these pieces together," said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

As health experts work to learn more about this rare complication, they stress not to shy away from other vaccines and just listen to your body.

“Headaches, any visual changes, abdominal pain, nausea, leg swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain, and these are all symptoms that are occurring out of the blue that can’t be explained," said Arepally.

Arepally suggested that anyone whose received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last three weeks should monitor their symptoms.

She adds that people with unusual or persisting side-effects should go to the doctor, but says those side-effects are extremely rare.

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