J&J Privately Asked Rival Covid-19 Vaccine Makers to Probe Clotting Risks

Reports say Johnson & Johnson sought help from its three rival Covid-19 vaccine makers to look into reports of blood clots, but Pfizer and Moderna both declined.This was reported by  the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the situation. Only AstraZeneca agreed, according to the WSJ.J&J also wanted to build an informal alliance with its competitors that it hoped would allow the industry to speak with one voice about the safety of the vaccines and address any public concerns about the blood-clot cases.In a statement to CNN on Friday, a Pfizer (PFE) spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the WSJ report.

Moderna (MRNA) and AstraZeneca (AZN) declined to comment.Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) told CNN in an email that “the safety of the patients who use our products is our top priority,” and that the company is actively working the US and European authorities. The company also noted that the pandemic has resulted in “unprecedented collaboration and sharing of publicly available data and information,” further adding “we believe collaborative scientific exchange can lead to more robust answers to questions.”

six cases were among women between the ages of 18 and 48, the agencies said in a statement, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination. he recommendation to pause comes out of “an abundance of caution,” they added, and these cases “appear to be extremely rare.”