Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Slovenia suspends J&J vaccine after 20-year-old's death

Slovenia has suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine while it investigates of death of a 20-year-old woman

Via AP news wire
Wednesday 29 September 2021 10:26 EDT
Virus Outbreak Slovenia Protest
Virus Outbreak Slovenia Protest (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Slovenia suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine Wednesday while it investigates the death of a 20-year-old woman, as thousands started gathering for an anti-vaccination protest in the small European Union nation.

The suspension will be in place until experts determine whether there was a link between the woman's death from a stroke this week and the vaccine shot she received two weeks earlier, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said.

However, the vaccine’s “benefits continue to outweigh the risks” at this point, Poklukar said.

The one-dose J&J vaccine became more popular after Slovenian authorities introduced new requirements for COVID-19 passes, including for going to work in all state-run firms. The government approved the purchase of an additional 100,000 doses from Hungary in response to the growing demand.

The woman who died was the second recipient of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Slovenia to have experienced a serious health condition that wasn't COVID-19, the official STA news agency reported. About 120,000 people in Slovenia have received the vaccine.

The suspension announcement is likely to fuel the protests in the capital, Ljubljana against vaccination and pandemic requirements.

Similar protests drew thousands previously, and demonstrators recently clashed with police. Ahead of Wednesday's event, police put up metal fences and urged participants to remain calm.

Like much of Central and Eastern Europe, Slovenia in recent weeks has seen a rise in infections. The country of some 2 million people has fully vaccinated nearly 48% of the population, a smaller share than in many other European Union member nations.

Slovenia has recommended Johnson & Johnson vaccines to all people over age 18, while some countries who have limited its use to older people.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in