What to know about the Johnson & Johnson COVID and Guillain-Barré Syndrome vaccine

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The US Food and Drug Administration has added a new warning to the Johnson & Johnson virus vaccine, after a small number of people developed Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination.

GBS – a disorder in which the immune system attacks nerves – is a very rare complication known to occur after many different infections and vaccines, including the annual flu shot and the pneumococcal vaccine. The immune system mistakenly attacks the molecules inside the vaccine and ends up attacking the nervous system as well, causing the sudden onset of tingling and numbness.

“It’s a known process in the medical world, and it’s very rare with a vaccine,” Sharon Stoll, an immunologist at Yale Medicine, told HuffPost. Getting GBS after being infected with a virus or insect is much more common than with this vaccine — or any other, for that matter.

Unless you have a history of GBS after previous infections or vaccinations, this news should not prevent you from getting the J&J vaccine (or any COVID-19 vaccine, if you haven’t already). And if you’ve already got a J&J shot, don’t panic either. Here’s what you should know:

Cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are extremely rare.

There were 100 reports of GBS out of 12.8 million doses of J&J. In other words, this is extremely rare. It occurs mostly in men age 50 and older, about two weeks after vaccination.

In the Johnson & Johnson clinical trial, two patients developed GBS two weeks after receiving an injection. One patient received a placebo dose, and the other received the vaccine. That study concluded that there was insufficient data to establish a causal relationship between snapshot and GBS. But now that 100 people (out of millions) have developed GBS after vaccination, scientists are taking a closer look at the link.

“This appears to be an extremely rare event in which the risk-benefit ratio still strongly favors a vaccine,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security and an infectious disease expert.

If you’ve had GBS in the past, health experts suggest talking to your doctor and, if necessary, considering opting for an RNA (mRNA) vaccine if you haven’t already. There are a lot of great options out there that can safely protect you from COVID-19 and the damage it causes.

GBS may also be a rare side effect of infection and other shots.

GBS is a rare reaction in which the immune system turns slightly and attacks the nervous system. When it occurs after vaccination, the immune system goes after the vaccine particles (specifically, the carrier) and ends up attacking the body’s nerves, causing weakness and tingling in the extremities. This tingling quickly spreads upward, from the foot to the thighs to the upper thigh. In very rare cases, it can eventually cause paralysis.

Stoll is not at all surprised that there have been some cases of GBS in people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. There is no known link between GBS and COVID-19, but GBS has been traced to other infections, including Zika, gastrointestinal infections, and respiratory infections. GBS is also a well-known (and very rare) side effect after many different types of vaccinations.

We see him with the flu shot every year, along with the pneumococcal vaccine. “It’s a very rare side effect, but among neurologists, it’s something we see” after having the flu and, less commonly, the flu vaccine, Stoll said. GBS appears to be much rarer with the J&J COVID vaccine than with other vaccines such as the influenza vaccine, according to Stoll.

GBS can be treated in most cases.

Recovery, in most cases, is smooth. It is often treated in a hospital, during which patients receive an injection of immunoglobulin, which helps to stabilize the immune system. “Most people, but not all, will fully recover from the impairment over a period of months,” Adalja said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, 60 to 80% of people can walk for six months, but the mortality rate for GBS is 4 to 7%. Some people may experience long-term nerve damage and side effects such as tingling, tiredness, or numbness.

Bottom line: Don’t panic or worry about this news just yet.

Health experts broadly agree that the benefits of a Johnson & Johnson shot far outweigh the potential risks. “That certainly shouldn’t stop anyone from getting the J&J vaccine or any other vaccine,” Stoll said.

GBS is extremely rare, and when it occurs, doctors know how to treat it. If you receive the vaccination, and after two weeks you feel tingling and numbness spreading rapidly from your feet up, seek medical treatment immediately. If you have been vaccinated and have not experienced any associated side effects, do not panic now.

Stoll advised those who previously developed GBS in response to an infection or vaccine might want to get one of their mRNA shots from Pfizer or Moderna.

“Because we have two other great options, if you’ve had Guillain-Barré syndrome in the past, and it’s been like it was a couple of years ago, I’d say J&J probably doesn’t work for you,” Stoll said. “But this is the only subgroup.”

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but the guidance could change as scientists learn more about the virus. Please check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the latest recommendations.

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