Slovenia temporarily stopped corona vaccinations with the Janssen vaccine from the manufacturer Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday. The reason was the death of a 20-year-old – there is a suspicion that there could be a context with a previous vaccination. The decision was followed by the vaccination commission, which recommended a suspension of the vaccine until the circumstances were clarified, said Health Minister Janez Poklukar at a press conference.
The young woman, who had been treated in the University Clinic in Ljubljana since Monday, died on Wednesday morning. Your condition was immediately recognized as life-threatening, it said from the clinic. The patient had blood clots in the brain and cerebral hemorrhages, despite all medical efforts, her condition had not improved, a doctor told journalists.
Because of a temporal association between the administration of the Janssen vaccine and the death of the woman, the suspicion of possible side effects was raised and the case was reported to the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). A specially set up commission will now examine the connections.
According to information from the university clinic, this is the second reported case of serious adverse effects in connection with a Covid vaccination in Slovenia. Another young woman who had severe side effects after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca had recovered. In spring, a Slovenian citizen, the wife of a Slovenian diplomat, died in Belgium after being vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine organized by Slovenia. According to the media, the investigation in Slovenia confirmed that the cause of death – thrombosis – was linked to the vaccination.
In Slovenia, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is used for all adults. According to the health minister, 120,000 people have been immunized with it so far. In the past few weeks, the one-sting vaccine has gained popularity after the 3G rule was introduced into almost all areas of public life. According to the current regulation, you get the vaccination certificate on the day of vaccination. Due to the great demand, the government decided on Tuesday to buy another 100,000 vaccine doses from Hungary.
The Minister of Health emphasized that among the one million Slovenes vaccinated, there had so far only been two serious cases, while almost 4,900 people suffering from Covid-19 had died. “The benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks,” said Poklukar.