The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the benefits of the J&J Covid vaccine still outweigh the risks after reports of a rare neurological disorder

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Vials of the Janssen virus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson via Reuters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday there have been 100 reported cases of a rare but serious neurological disorder following the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccination, but preliminary data suggests the benefits of the injections still outweigh the risks.

There were 8.1 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome per million doses, which is higher than expected in the general population and close to eight times the rate seen in the Pfizer and Moderna shots, according to slides released Thursday ahead of a pre-CDC presentation. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Guillain-Barre is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system.

The US agency said the data did not show a similar pattern with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. By comparison, there was roughly one case of Guillain-Barre per million doses for people who received either of the two-dose mRNA vaccine, according to the agency.

The additional data comes just over a week after the Food and Drug Administration announced a new warning about the J&J injection after discovering initial reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome in some J&J recipients.

The new warning was just a recent setback for J&J, which has struggled with production problems with its vaccine as well as public concerns about a rare, potentially life-threatening blood clotting disorder linked to its dose.

J&J is conducting early-stage research into whether potential modifications to its Covid vaccine could reduce or eliminate the risk of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia, or VITT, seen in some recipients.

Rare side effects, which scientists say are common, have been found with the Pfizer and Modern vaccines.

In late June, the FDA added a warning to patient fact sheets and providers of mRNA vaccines to indicate a rare risk of heart infection. Both vaccines now include a warning about myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart. Health officials said the benefits of receiving vaccinations still outweigh any risks.

Of the 100 reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, 95 were seriously ill, according to the CDC. One person died – a 57-year-old man with pre-existing conditions. The reported cases largely occurred about two weeks after vaccination and were mostly in males with an average age of 57, according to the data. More than 12 million J&J shots have been taken in the United States, according to the CDC.

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