Belgium says halts J&J COVID jab for under 41s after one dies

[May 26, 2021]  By Marine Strauss

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Belgian government said on Wednesday it was suspending vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine for people under the age of 41 following the death of a woman from severe side-effects after receiving the jab.

"The Inter-ministerial conference has decided to temporarily administer Janssen's vaccine to the general population from the age of 41 years, pending a more detailed benefit-risk analysis by the EMA," the Belgian health ministers said in a statement.

The EMA is the European Union's European Medicine's Agency.

The woman - who was under the age of 40 - died on May 21, after being admitted to hospital with severe thrombosis and platelet deficiency, the statement said.

(Reporting by Marine Strauss @StraussMarine; Editing by John Chalmers)

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content