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Poland starts J&J COVID-19 shots, says benefits outweigh risks

An illustration picture shows vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson on November 17, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

WARSAW (Reuters) — Poland started administering Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shots on Thursday as benefits from the vaccine outweigh potential risks, government and drug office representatives said.

U.S. federal health agencies on Tuesday recommended pausing use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for at least a few days after six women under age 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot, dealing a fresh setback to efforts to tackle the pandemic.


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“In the case of Johnson & Johnson today is the first day it has been used. We have not received signals that there are problems, or that patient are refusing (to take it),” Michal Dworczyk, a government official overseeing the country’s vaccine programme told a press conference.

The head of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products told the conference that benefits from the J&J vaccine outweigh potential risks.