One reason why the J&J Vaccine is no longer on the market

         A systemic review of Guillian-Barre syndrome (GBS) as a result of the COVID vaccine in 2022 showed that GBS levels were elevated for the Ad.26.COV2.S (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) vaccine (Hanson et al., 2022). GBS is a rare autoimmune response to vaccination where your body attacks your nerves (Hughes & Cornblath, 2005). Both sensory and motor neurons are attacked resulting in abnormal sensation/movement, difficulty breathing, paralysis, and death. About 20% of GBS cases result in permanent disability (Hughes & Cornblath, 2005). Although GBS is very rare, anyone who takes any kind of vaccine assumes the risk involved. Overall, vaccines represent an invaluable tool for public health and their benefits far outweigh the risk and incidence of GBS. Despite this, certain vaccines do have increased risk of GBS when compared to others. One prevalent example of this is the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. This vaccine faced ridicule on social media as people began to report negative experiences after having taken it. Eventually the vaccine was investigated and taken off the market due to rare blood clot formation and high incidence of GBS. The incidence of GBS after J&J vaccine was 32.4 in 100,000 patients while the incidence of GBS after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines was 1.3 in 100,000 patients. This is just under 25 times the rate of incidence. It is understandable why J&J was investigated and ultimately removed from the market. I think this is an excellent case of health officials identifying and minimizing health dangers for everyday citizens. Their action to investigate and remove the vaccine is in line with the biomedical ethical principles of beneficence and non-malfeasance. Although it represents the correct move for public health, it does actually limit citizen autonomy. Do you think someone should have the right to take a more dangerous vaccine if they are aware of the increased risk?

Hughes, R. A. C., & Cornblath, D. R. (2005). Guillain-Barré syndrome. The Lancet, 366(9497), 1653–1666. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(05)67665-9 

Hanson KE, Goddard K, Lewis N, et al. Incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome After COVID-19 Vaccination in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(4):e228879. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.8879