Johnson & Johnson sought help from vaccine competitors after concerns about blood clots surfaced with its own immunizations

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J&J also wanted to form an informal alliance with its competitors that it hoped would enable the industry to speak with one voice about the safety of the vaccines and allay any public concerns about the cases of blood clots, the Journal reported.

In a statement to CNN on Friday, a Pfizer PFE spokesman declined to comment on the details of the WSJ report. “Pfizer embraces opportunities for scientific exchange when we can make a meaningful contribution that is not represented by other groups or regulators,” said the spokesman. “We have and will continue to work with other vaccine manufacturers as we all fight this deadly pandemic.”
Modern MRNA and AstraZeneca AZN declined to comment.
Johnson & Johnson JNJ told CNN in an email that “the safety of patients using our products is our top priority,” and that the company is actively working with US and European authorities. The company also noted that the pandemic has resulted in “unprecedented collaboration and the sharing of publicly available data and information,” adding “we believe that collaborative scientific exchange can lead to more robust answers to questions.”
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The news comes just three days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended discontinuing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following six reported U.S. cases of a rare and serious type of blood clot.

All 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. The recommendation to pause stems from “an abundance of caution,” they added, and these cases “seem extremely rare.”

– CNN’s Nadia Kounang contributed to this report.

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