Experts aren’t worried about J&J’s vaccine and clusters of bad reactions

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• European regulators are investigating J&J's vaccine over a potential link to blood clots – but experts aren't worried;
• 23andMe CEO explains why the company's still prioritizing consumer-first healthcare;
• Pfizer and BioNTech have asked regulators to make their vaccine available to kids 12 to 15.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…

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Johnson & Johnson had a very bad week – but fears of negative reactions and blood clots are likely overblown

• Three US vaccination sites temporarily stopped administering Johnson & Johnson's shot this week.
• The sites reported clusters of adverse reactions, but it's not known whether the shot was the direct cause.
• European regulators are also investigating rare blood clots tied to the vaccine, but experts aren't worried.

Read more about the link between blood clots and COVID-19 vaccines>>

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Despite 23andMe's declining revenue, CEO Anne Wojcicki said she's committed to consumer-first healthcare 'entirely outside the system'

• 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki reaffirmed her commitment to consumer-first healthcare in a HBR Live event.
• The company's recent SPAC filing demonstrated its plans to further develop its core business: direct-to-consumer genetics.
• "Hands down, I just don't want to be in the system," Wojcicki said of the healthcare industry.

Check it out>>

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Pfizer and BioNTech have asked US regulators to make their COVID-19 vaccine available to adolescents ages 12 to 15

• Pfizer and BioNTech have asked for their COVID-19 vaccine to available for adolescents aged 12 to 15.
• The vaccine showed "100 percent efficacy" in trials with adolescents.
• Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have also started vaccine trials in children.

Opening up to adolescents could be key to ending the pandemic>>

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More stories we're reading:

• 13 years later, Google is again exploring a patient health records tool (Stat News)
• See the presentations that hot healthcare and biotech startups used to raise millions from top VCs (Insider)
• Ginkgo Bioworks is exploring going public via SPAC IPO (Bloomberg)
• A COVID-19 expert shares his simple sports analogy to explain why vaccines work against variants (Insider)
• VillageMD is plotting an IPO that could happen in the third quarter (Bloomberg)

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- Lydia