<ul class="summary-list"><li>Johnson &amp; Johnson has been put in charge of <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> production at a Baltimore plant.</li><li>The move comes after 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were ruined in a mixup.</li><li>The error did not impact any vaccines that are currently being delivered or used.</li></ul>Johnson &amp; Johnson, with the aid of President Joe Biden's administration, has been put in charge of a Baltimore vaccine production plant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/factory-mixup-ruins-johnson-johnson-doses-nyt-2021-3">that ruined 15 million doses</a> of its COVID-19 vaccine and has moved to stop British drugmaker <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword> Plc from utilizing the facility to avoid any future mistakes, senior federal health officials said on Saturday.The extraordinary decision, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/03/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-cases/the-biden-administration-puts-johnson-johnson-in-charge-of-a-baltimore-plant-that-ruined-millions-of-doses-of-its-vaccine">which was first reported by The New York Times</a>, was put into action by the US Department of Health and Human Services and will allow the Emergent BioSolutions plant to focus on making the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.Johnson &amp; Johnson confirmed the move on Saturday, stating that it was "assuming full responsibility regarding the manufacturing of drug substance" at Emergent."Specifically, the company is adding dedicated leaders for operations and quality, and significantly increasing the number of manufacturing, quality and technical operations personnel to work with the company specialists already at Emergent," Johnson &amp; Johnson said in a statement.The change comes after the disclosure that Emergent, which is a manufacturing partner to both AstraZeneca and Johnson &amp; Johnson, mixed up ingredients from the two coronavirus vaccines in a case of human error, causing regulators to delay authorization of the facility's vaccine production.The mixup ruined nearly 15 million Johnson &amp; Johnson doses.The error did not impact any vaccines that are currently being delivered or used, according to the Times report.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/issues-that-could-tank-bidens-infrastructure-plan-congress-salt-taxes-2021-4">Here are 9 hurdles Biden's infrastructure plan would have to overcome in Congress before it can become law</a>The <keyword id="10092361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration">Biden administration</keyword> has made note of the delay and has not shifted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-us-will-have-vaccines-300-million-people-may-2021-3">its stated goal</a> of having enough vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May.According to the Times report, federal officials are concerned that the mixup could dampen confidence in the vaccines just as Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-demands-governors-reinstate-mask-mandates-covid-19-cases-rise-2021-3">is aggressively pushing</a> for mask mandates to remain in place as new COVID-19 variants spread throughout the US.Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.insider.com/uk-astrazeneca-covid19-vaccine-safe-despite-rising-blood-clot-cases-2021-4">there are concerns</a> about the two-dose AstraZeneca vaccine, which has had a troubled rollout in Europe due to a risk of rare blood clots <a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-benefits-still-outweigh-risks-despite-possible-link-rare-blood-clots">possibly linked</a> to the vaccine. However, the United Kingdom's drug regulator deemed the vaccine as safe.AstraZeneca said that it would work with the Biden administration to find an alternative site for its vaccine production, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-us-hasnt-authorized-astrazeneca-shot-when-that-may-change-2021-3">which has not yet been authorized</a> in the US."AstraZeneca and the US government continue to work closely together to support agreed upon plans for the development, production and full delivery of the vaccine," the company wrote in a statement.With three vaccines authorized in the US - from Johnson &amp; Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna - it is unclear if there will even be a need for an additional vaccine.Dr. Anthony <keyword id="3540587" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="fauci">Fauci</keyword>, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca-exclus/exclusive-fauci-says-u-s-may-not-need-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-idUSKBN2BO6XS">said as much</a> in a recent interview with Reuters."That's still up in the air," Fauci said. "My general feeling is that given the contractual relationships that we have with a number of companies, that we have enough vaccine to fulfill all of our needs without invoking AstraZeneca."However, a federal official said that the HHS is in talks with AstraZeneca "to adapt its vaccine to combat new coronavirus variants," according to the Times report.As of Sunday, nearly 30.7 million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 554,000 people have died of the illness, based on data compiled by <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a>.

Johnson & Johnson takes over COVID-19 vaccine production at Baltimore plant after 15 million doses were ruined

<ul class="summary-list"><li>European regulators are investigating whether <keyword id="92247" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Johnson-Johnson">Johnson &amp; Johnson</keyword>'s <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> could cause blood clots. </li><li>The investigation was opened after four cases were reported, including one fatality.</li><li>J&amp;J's vaccine was authorized for European distribution last month, but hasn't been given out yet. </li></ul>European regulators are investigating whether Johnson &amp; Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine caused unusual blood clotting after four cases were reported in vaccine recipients, including one fatality. The <keyword id="114599" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="European-Medicines-Agency">European Medicines Agency</keyword>'s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee disclosed Friday that they are reviewing the vaccine after three people who received J&amp;J's vaccine in the US and another who was involved in a clinical trial developed blood clots. It's currently not clear if the vaccine caused these clots. J&amp;J said that it was working closely with experts and regulators to assess data coming in, but that so far, they have found a small number of very rare side effects. The investigation comes as European states prepare to add the vaccine to their roster of COVID-19 shots. J&amp;J's vaccine <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/european-medicines-agency-recommends-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-to-eu-2021-3">was recommended for authorization</a> by the EMA on March 11, but has not yet been distributed. Approximately 4.9 million doses of J&amp;J's vaccine have been administered in the US, <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">according to the CDC.</a> <h2>It's not the first time the link between vaccines and blood clots has been investigated</h2>The EMA has been closely watching reports of blood clots linked to another vaccine: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-worth-it-despite-blood-clot-link-experts-2021-4">AstraZeneca's two-dose immunization</a>. The agency stated Wednesday that blood clots can be a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-side-effects-blood-clots-very-rare-ema-2021-4">"very rare" side effect of AstraZeneca's shot</a> in people with low blood platelet levels. Approximately 169 cases of blood clots in the brain and 53 cases of blood clots in the spleen had been reported as of April 4, according to the EMA. Cases of blood clots have also reported in patients who had <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajh.26132">received Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines</a>, a J&amp;J spokesperson said in a statement. Issues have been popping up as J&amp;J's shot has rolled out in the US.One of the factories that produces both drug companies' vaccines is in hot water after it was reported by the New York Times that 15 million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson's vaccine had been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millions-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-doses-need-contamination-check-nyt-2021-4">cross-contaminated with AstraZeneca's vaccine</a> at a U.S. factory run by Emergent BioSolutions. None of those shots were distributed to the public. Officials in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-and-north-carolina-pause-distribution-of-jj-vaccine-2021-4">Colorado and North Carolina</a> stopped giving out J&amp;J's vaccine this week after two dozen people experienced minor adverse reactions like nausea and dizziness.J&amp;J's stock traded down about 1% on Friday morning.

European regulators are watching J&J's vaccine for unusual blood clots

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tens of millions of doses of <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s COVID-19 <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> are currently stored in US warehouses.</li><li>The vaccine is approved in more than 70 countries, many in Europe, but not in the US.</li><li>AstraZeneca had asked the US to loan doses to the EU, but one official told Reuters the US said "no way."</li></ul>The US is sitting on millions of unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and refusing to give them to other countries who may need it more, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/us/politics/coronavirus-astrazeneca-united-states.html?smid=tw-share">The New York Times</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-astrazeneca-exc/exclusive-eu-told-to-expect-no-astrazeneca-vaccines-from-u-s-in-near-future-sources-idUSKBN2B3295">Reuters</a> reported.The vaccine is approved in more than 70 countries, but not in the US.Thirty million doses of the vaccine, ready for use, are currently stored in a facility in Ohio, one official told The Times.Another company in Maryland, Emergent BioSolutions, has produced enough vaccine for tens of millions of doses to be packaged, the official said.Officials have raised concerns about the doses' shelf life, as the vaccine cannot be stored indefinitely, The Times reported.Yet the White House is holding onto these doses as several other countries struggle with supply. AstraZeneca had asked the US to loan doses to the EU, The Times reported, as manufacturing issues have meant the company has not met its contractual <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-astrazeneca/astrazeneca-further-cuts-eu-vaccine-supply-target-to-30-million-document-idUSKBN2B402Y?il=0">supply target</a> to the bloc.But one official directly involved in US-EU talks told Reuters: "The US told us there was no way it would ship AstraZeneca vaccines to the EU," without giving a reason.But Margaret Cekuta, a former US trade official who now works as a lobbyist, told Reuters: "The vaccine isn't approved in the United States, so of course we can't sell it to other countries yet," adding that exporting a vaccine before it's approved by the Food and Drug Administration could raise potential liability issues.President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> has suggested that he would prioritize vaccinations for Americans. Talking on Wednesday about the US vaccine supply in general, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-biden-surplus/biden-says-americans-will-be-first-to-get-vaccines-any-surplus-to-be-shared-idUSKBN2B22OY">said</a> "We're going to start off and ensure Americans are taken care of first, but we're then going to try to help the rest of the world."On Thursday, he also pledged that all American adults would be eligible for a shot by <a href="https://www.insider.com/joe-biden-coronavirus-recovery-speech-video-highlights-2021-3">May 1</a>.AstraZeneca has not yet applied for FDA approval of its vaccine. It is likely waiting for the end of phase 3 trials in the US, which are expected in the coming weeks, The Times reported. AstraZeneca's vaccine rollout was stunted this week after several European countries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denmark-suspends-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-blood-clot-2021-3">suspended the use of the shot</a>, citing investigations into several cases of blood clots among people who had received it.Many low-income countries have also not received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/UNchiefblastsvaccinenationalismhoardingsidedeals/75435e6f15c33c1ac3c48048ffdd2ea7/text?hpSectionId=8b012cffa0df4fdfb4bb50e8a8d38d54&amp;st=hpsection&amp;mediaType=text,photo&amp;dateRange=Anytime&amp;totalCount=47&amp;currentItemNo=15amp;currentItemNo=15">said on Friday</a>.

The US is sitting on millions of unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and says it won't share them with countries that might need them more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies manufacturing <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> vaccines for drugmakers including <keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword>, <keyword id="4912868" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="moderna">Moderna</keyword>, and <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword> are frantically recruiting research and production workers to meet exceptional demand.</li><li>A Wall Street Journal analysis found more than 5,000 vacancies across the 10 largest companies with <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> outsourcing contracts.</li><li>One company is offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses to those willing to work night shifts.</li><li>"The pandemic has just accelerated the fight for talent," Lorna Larson, a senior human-resources director at Avid Bioservices, told The Journal. "It really is critical right now — and there's a lot of competition for it."</li></ul>Millions of people across the West have already been given the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and up to 6 billion more doses could be manufactured in 2021, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-are-in-high-demand-but-thousands-more-workers-are-needed-to-make-them-11609764172?mod=business_lead_pos7">according to estimates from the industry tracker PharmSource</a> - provided the companies making the shots can find enough employees.Companies manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines are struggling to find enough workers to meet their output goals and have thousands of vacancies to fill, an investigation by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-are-in-high-demand-but-thousands-more-workers-are-needed-to-make-them-11609764172?mod=business_lead_pos7">The Wall Street Journal</a> published Monday found. One company is even offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses for manufacturing staff willing to take overnight shifts.Drugmakers including Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, all of which have vaccines being administered in the West, are outsourcing production to contract manufacturers to help them ramp up supply, The Journal reported. The paper's analysis found more than 5,000 vacancies across the 10 largest companies with outsourcing contracts to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines or the components that go in them.Many of the roles need years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, or relevant qualifications such as biotechnology degrees, The Journal found. Some of them involve overnight shifts."Hiring and ramping up has become challenging," Sean Kirk, an executive vice president at Emergent BioSolutions, said at an online careers fair in October, per The Journal. The Maryland-based company has been contracted by AstraZeneca and Johnson &amp; Johnson.At the start of January, the company had more than 180 job vacancies listed on its website, including roles for warehouse associates, engineers, and bioanalytics scientists.The New Jersey-based Catalent, which has vaccine contracts with Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson &amp; Johnson and is one of the US's largest contract manufacturers, is also looking for employees.As of Tuesday, the company had 805 vacancies listed on its website. It is targeting ads to people living near its sites using the radio-streaming service Pandora and is offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses for manufacturing workers who will take overnight shifts at its Madison, Wisconsin, facility, The Journal reported.Not being able to fill the roles could affect how much of its production capacity it allocates to COVID-19 vaccines, Bernie Clark, the company's vice president of marketing and strategy, told The Journal."To keep adding capacity and new lines, you have to have the people to run them," he said.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-moderna-developed-coronavirus-vaccine-record-time-2020-11?r=gd-sub">Inside Moderna's historic coronavirus vaccine program that transformed the biotech upstart into a $55 billion drug industry powerhouse</a>The California-based Avid Bioservices plans to recruit about 40 new employees by next summer to meet its contracts to produce vaccine components, Lorna Larson, the company's senior director in human resources, told The Journal. This is twice as many people as it would usually hire, Larson said, and would increase its workforce by about 15%."The pandemic has just accelerated the fight for talent," she told the publication."It really is critical right now - and there's a lot of competition for it."Vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are being administered across the US following emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration late last year.A third shot, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oxford-astrazeneca-coronavirus-authorized-emergency-use-in-uk-2020-12">was authorized for emergency use in the UK in December</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-uk-man-82-receives-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-2021-1">the first injections were given Monday</a>.

COVID-19 vaccine makers are scrambling to fill 5,000 vacancies as more countries approve the shots. One is even offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses for night-shift workers.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US regulators on Tuesday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-plans-pause-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-rollout-blood-clots-report-2021-4">recommended an immediate pause</a> of <keyword id="92247" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Johnson-Johnson">Johnson &amp; Johnson</keyword>'s vaccine rollout.</li><li>Six women have developed rare <keyword id="30946" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="blood-clots">blood clots</keyword> following J&amp;J's shot, but experts aren't worried yet.</li><li>J&amp;J has also encountered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/factory-botched-johnson-and-johnson-vaccines-distribution-certification-2021-4">manufacturing snafus</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-and-north-carolina-pause-distribution-of-jj-vaccine-2021-4">reports of fainting</a> at vaccination sites.</li></ul>Johnson &amp; Johnson's <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccine rollout has hit several major snags this month.On Tuesday, US regulators <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-plans-pause-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-rollout-blood-clots-report-2021-4">recommended an immediate pause</a> of the company's vaccine rollout so that they can investigate six cases in which women developed rare blood clots within two weeks of receiving J&amp;J's shot. One of those women died and a second is in critical condition.European regulators also announced last week that they were<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ema-investigates-reports-of-clots-and-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-2021-4"> investigating Johnson &amp; Johnson's shot</a> for links to rare blood clots. To make matters worse, a vaccination site in Colorado, three sites in North Carolina, and one in Georgia all <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-and-north-carolina-pause-distribution-of-jj-vaccine-2021-4">temporarily stopped administering Johnson &amp; Johnson's shot</a> last week after about 45 people in total experienced minor adverse reactions involving nausea, dizziness, fainting, or lightheadedness.That all followed the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> that a Maryland manufacturing plant run by Emergent Biosolutions had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/factory-botched-johnson-and-johnson-vaccines-distribution-certification-2021-4">ruined 15 million doses</a> of the J&amp;J vaccine after plant workers accidentally mixed up some vaccine ingredients in March. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/covid-vaccines-emergent-biosolutions.html">reported last week</a> that 62 million of the company's vaccine doses must be checked for contamination.Still, some experts say there's little reason to doubt the shot's safety yet."You don't want to be fueling unnecessary worries about the safety of vaccines when you're still seeing an enormous outbreak and death rates all over the world from COVID," Art Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University, told Insider before Tuesday's announcement.<h2>The link between J&amp;J's shot and blood clots remains tenuous</h2><div type="image" title="johnson &amp; johnson vaccine" height="2353" width="3529" msid="82005825" hostid="261"></div>All six women who developed blood clots in response to J&amp;J's vaccine were between the ages of 18 and 48. Each had a rare type of blood clot in the brain called central venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), along with low levels of platelets (colorless blood cells that help clots form).At a Tuesday press briefing, Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said the rare clotting may have been caused by an immune response to the vaccine, though no definitive link has been drawn yet.While blood clots are often treated with a blood-thinning drug called heparin, FDA officials said on Tuesday that administering heparin may be dangerous to those who develop CVST. That's partly why the US is pausing the J&amp;J rollout."We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution," the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement on Tuesday. "This is important, in part, to ensure that the healthcare provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot."FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock said the pause would likely last "a matter of days."Around 6.8 million doses of J&amp;J's vaccine have been administered in the US so far. That means fewer than one blood clot case has been observed per every 1 million shots. <a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-statement-on-covid-19-vaccine">J&amp;J said in a statement</a> that it's working with regulators and medical experts to look into the blood-clot reports. Experts are still examining whether there's a cause-and-effect relationship."It isn't really clear how many people get blood clots anyway," Caplan said. "That makes it hard to know whether it's connected to vaccination."In the meantime, the European Union's health regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is carrying out its own investigation of the same blood-clot cases reported by the FDA. The EU authorized Johnson &amp; Johnson's vaccine in March, but J&amp;J announced Tuesday that it would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/johnson-and-johnson-pauses-vaccine-rollout-europe2021-4">delay its rollout of the vaccine in Europe</a>. Earlier this month, the EMA announced that<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-side-effects-blood-clots-very-rare-ema-2021-4"> potentially fatal blood clots</a> might be a rare side effect of <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s vaccine, which has been authorized in more than 115 countries but not yet in the US. Both that shot and Johnson &amp; Johnson's are viral-vector vaccines, which introduce a coronavirus gene into the body using a genetically engineered<a href="https://www.insider.com/common-cold-symptoms-treatment"> common-cold</a> virus. Scientists don't know whether the platform itself could be linked to clotting.Still, any risk of clots should be weighed against the risk of getting COVID-19, Caplan said."If I live in Brazil and I'm still seeing 3,000 deaths a day, and somebody said to me, 'We're going to pull AstraZeneca vaccine out of here because we found somebody who died of a blood clot that might be related to the vaccine,' I'd say, 'You better recalculate your risk-benefit ratio,'" he said.<h2>People could get dizzy or nauseous for many reasons</h2><div type="image" title="johnson &amp; johnson vaccine line" height="2470" width="4000" msid="82005823" hostid="261"></div>Experts are far less concerned about the reports of nausea and fainting at vaccination sites. Those <keyword id="29504" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Side-effects">side effects</keyword> are "absolutely trivial," Caplan said. Although they aren't<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4"> common responses to coronavirus vaccines</a>, they aren't abnormal, either."When you see these clusters [of side effects], they usually are worked out and have no relation to the vaccine," Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, told Insider. Monto chairs the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine Advisory Committee, which voted to recommend the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson shots.Most of the negative reactions to Johnson &amp; Johnson's shot occurred within 15 minutes after a person got vaccinated, public-health officials in Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina reported. In total between the three states, seven people were taken to hospitals for observation. As of last week, all but one had been released and everyone was expected to fully recover.Officials haven't yet pinpointed why these clusters of adverse reactions were identified within such a short time frame. But they've emphasized that there's no reason to be concerned about the shot itself.In a news release, Georgia's public health commissioner, Kathleen Toomey, said the state was looking into "what may have caused the reactions, including the conditions at the fairgrounds such as heat and the ability to keep the site cool." Caplan said it's possible that the people who felt dizzy or nauseous were elderly or had underlying health conditions that may have predisposed them to adverse reactions. And once one site reports a cluster of patient reactions, that makes others more likely to look for them and take swift action.Regardless, Monto said, the fact that adverse reactions are being reported and investigated shows that local officials are working hard to minimize harm."Any pause in vaccination shows that the system is working because we're not trying to sweep anything under the rug," he said.In a statement, Johnson &amp; Johnson told Insider that it takes all adverse reactions seriously. The company said it would "carefully assess the events" and share any findings with the FDA."There is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of the people we serve," the statement said.<h2>A low supply of Johnson &amp; Johnson shots</h2><div type="image" title="johnson and johnson covid vaccine" height="1467" width="2200" msid="82054278" hostid="261"></div>The White House said on Tuesday that pausing the J&amp;J rollout would "not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan," since the two other vaccines authorized in the US - from Pfizer and Moderna - are "more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gsk-vaccine-research-covid-departures-uncertain-future-2021-4">GlaxoSmithKline stumbled with COVID-19 shots. Now it's facing an exodus of US talent and an uncertain future as the world's vaccine leader.</a>J&amp;J shots have accounted for less than 5% of vaccinations so far in the US, the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/13/statement-from-jeff-zients-white-house-covid-19-response-coordinator-on-johnson-johnson-vaccine/">White House said</a>.The total supply of the shot allocated to states and other jurisdictions was already expected to drop by 85% this week, to around 1.5 million doses. That's in part because quality-control managers must test 62 million doses to see if they can be salvaged following the manufacturing mix-up at the Emergent Biosolutions plant. The FDA must also certify that the plant can release more doses to the public.Johnson &amp; Johnson promised to ship 24 million doses in the US this month, but it's unclear if the company will meet that goal.Allison DeAngelis contributed reporting.This story has been updated with new information about the pause in J&amp;J's vaccine rollout. It was originally published on April 10.

Johnson & Johnson is having a very bad month - but fears of blood clots and other negative reactions are likely overblown

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US will resume using <keyword id="92247" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Johnson-Johnson">Johnson &amp; Johnson</keyword>'s <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword>.</li><li>The decision came after a <keyword id="6379474" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdc">CDC</keyword> committee voted to recommend using the shots.</li><li>The US paused its rollout on April 13, citing concerns over rare blood clots. </li></ul>The US will resume using Johnson &amp; Johnson's <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> vaccine, more than a week after regulators paused the rollout to investigate reports of rare but serious side effects.The Food and Drug Administration is adding a warning to the vaccine about the risk of unusual blood clots in women under 50. Still, the shots remain a valuable tool to stop the pandemic, and US health authorities said the benefits of the vaccines in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks.Janet Woodcock, acting administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters on Friday that regulators had "full confidence that this vaccine's known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks."Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said health care providers could resume use of the vaccine immediately."This vaccine was shown to be safe and effective for the vast majority of people," she said. An independent group of experts that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-panel-unpause-johnson-and-johnson-covid-vaccine-2021-4">recommended on Friday that use of the shot resume</a>.Now included in the materials the <keyword id="6354656" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda">FDA</keyword> provides for those getting J&amp;J's shot is a warning that most of the cases of blood clots have happened in women ages 18-49. "Some have been fatal," it says. The warning also notes that a causal link between the blood clots and the vaccine is "plausible."Prior to the pause, the US had administered about 8 million J&amp;J vaccine doses. Regulators in Europe said on April 20 that use of the shot should resume, and that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ema-possible-link-johnson-and-johnson-covid-vaccine-blood-clots-2021-4">recipients should be warned about the risk of clots</a>.J&amp;J now faces a daunting task in carving out a meaningful role for its vaccine in the US immunization campaign, the resumption coming at a time when the supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccine-us-vaccination-sites-joe-biden-2021-4">expected to soon outstrip demand</a>.More than <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">220 million coronavirus vaccine doses</a> have been given in the US, mainly shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Those vaccines use a different technology than J&amp;J's shot, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccine-blood-clot-risk-pfizer-moderna-johnson-and-johnson-2021-4">US regulators haven't identified any safety concerns</a> with those immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is more accessible than other coronavirus vaccines, because it's given as a single shot. Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech require two doses given several weeks apart.In a statement, Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at J&amp;J, said the company was confident its vaccine would be of use, despite the setback. "We will collaborate with health authorities around the world to educate health care professionals and the public to ensure this very rare event can be identified early and treated effectively," he said.<h2>Getting to a better understanding of a rare but serious blood clot issue</h2>The CDC and FDA recommended the pause for J&amp;J's shot after unusual blood clots appeared in six people of the 6.8 million who had received J&amp;J's vaccine at that time.All six had experienced a rare type of blood clot in the brain called a <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cerebral-venous-sinus-thrombosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">central venous sinus thrombosis</a> that can lead to headaches or a stroke. The rare blood clot occurs in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-blood-clot-risk-jj-vaccine-birth-control-2021-4">given year in five of every one million people</a>.By pausing, regulators hoped to get a better understanding of how to communicate the risks of the rare adverse event to those receiving the vaccine. Data shared Friday at the meeting of CDC advisors found that 15 people had developed the rare clots after receiving J&amp;J's shot. All were women, and three of the 15 cases were fatal. According to data presented to the CDC panel, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-johnson-johnson-blood-clot-case-count-rises-to-15-2021-4">women under 50 had a higher risk of developing a blood clot compared to those over 50 and men.</a><h2>Manufacturing issues and blood-clot links have shaken public confidence</h2>Public-health experts have shared fears that pausing the rollout of J&amp;J's shot <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jj-covid-vaccine-blood-clot-safety-doctors-reaction-2021-4">could delay the push to end the pandemic</a>. Public confidence in the vaccine has dropped significantly in the week and a half since this pause began. Just 19% of Americans would now be willing to get the shot, according to data presented to the advisory group Friday.Manufacturing challenges surrounding the vaccine have also brought scrutiny to J&amp;J's shots. Emergent Biosolutions, a Baltimore-based contractor used by J&amp;J, has run afoul of US regulators, with a recent FDA report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/factory-botched-vaccine-doses-fda-cites-unsanitary-conditions-2021-4">describing the plant in poor condition</a>, including peeling paint and workers doing jobs they are not trained to do. The Emergent plant has not produced any doses of J&amp;J's vaccine that have been administered. Regulators have held up any shipments from the plant until it can address the agency's concerns. All the J&amp;J supply used in the US so far has come from other factories in Europe.J&amp;J's shot isn't alone in running into issues with rare blood clots. Earlier this month, European regulators said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-side-effects-blood-clots-very-rare-ema-2021-4">blood clots are a side effect of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine</a>. Some countries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-no-evidence-to-stop-use-ema-2021-3">have put the use of AstraZeneca's shot on hold,</a> though the European Medicines Agency has said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. The two shots use similar technology, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-johnson-and-johnson-rare-blood-clots-similar-2021-4">leading experts to consider that the clotting issues may be related</a>.

The US is resuming its rollout of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine after a pause to investigate blood clots

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The FDA has issued an emergency authorization for <keyword id="8956772" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="convalescent-plasma">convalescent plasma</keyword> treatment for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</li><li>The therapy involves treating sick patients with the blood of those who have already recovered.</li><li>Convalescent plasma is also the basis for a drug, hyperimmune globulin, which would deliver consistent antibody levels to patients.</li><li>But more research is needed to show the treatment is fully safe and effective. </li></ul>During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, doctors discovered they could treat sick patients with the blood of those who had already recovered. The therapy, known as convalescent plasma, <a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-145-8-200610170-00139">helped reduce mortality</a> among people with acute infections. Now, the FDA has issued an emergency authorization for the therapy's use among COVID-19 patients.Antibodies develop in plasma, the liquid portion of blood — they're part of our body's natural response to a foreign pathogen. So the idea behind the treatment is to help sick people mount an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-antibodies-last-just-months-2020-7">antibody response</a> to the virus by transferring plasma intravenously from those who already have antibodies. "What we really need are drugs that, when given early, can prevent a symptomatic person from requiring hospitalization or very dramatically diminish the time that they're symptomatic," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/videos/10112108870243761/">told Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg</a> last month. Convalescent plasma is promising in that regard. The emergency use authorization from the FDA will allow doctors to administer the treatment earlier in the course of an infection, when it's believed to be most effective. The agency was expected to authorize plasma treatment last week, but it was briefly delayed after federal health officials, including Fauci, called for more data from randomized control trials, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html#link-6683e0e3">The New York Times reported</a>.But Dr. Thomas File, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said the available data on the treatment is still insufficient. "While the data to date show some positive signals that convalescent plasma can be helpful in treating individuals with COVID-19, especially if given early in the trajectory of disease, we lack the randomized controlled trial data we need to better understand its utility in <keyword id="8918466" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-treatment">COVID-19 treatment</keyword>," he said in a statement on Sunday.As of Monday, more than 2,700 hospitals have already administered plasma therapy through an expanded-access program led by the Mayo Clinic. The program has delivered plasma to more than 100,000 patients, <a href="https://www.uscovidplasma.org/">according to the program website</a>.However, there are still major limitations to plasma therapy's widespread use. Plasma must be transferred quickly from a donor to a recipient — and both must have compatible blood types. The quantity is also limited, since it depends on blood donations. That means plasma isn't likely to be a long-term treatment for the virus. Instead, researchers and pharmaceutical companies see it as an interim therapy until a vaccine becomes readily available.<h2>Early research shows promise</h2><div type="image" title="A recovered coronavirus (COVID-19) patient donates blood samples for plasma extraction to help critically ill patients at the National Blood Transfusion Center." height="3840" width="5760" msid="77493416" hostid="261"></div>Preliminary studies on convalescent plasma have primarily focused on its efficacy among hospitalized patients.A <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.12.20169359v1.full.pdf">national study</a> of 35,000 hospitalized <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> patients, which is still awaiting peer review, found that patients less than 80 years old who weren't on a respirator and received plasma containing high levels of antibodies within three days of their diagnosis had a 35% lower mortality rate than those who were treated four or more days after their diagnosis.In <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-press-briefing-august-23-2020/">a White House briefing</a> on Sunday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn mischaracterized these findings, stating that there was "a 35% improvement in survival" among "optimal patients." He added that if the data continued to pan out, 35 out of 100 people could be saved by receiving plasma therapy. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called this "a major advance in the treatment of patients." But Hahn walked back his remarks on Monday, following outcry from medical experts."I have been criticized for remarks I made Sunday night about the benefits of convalescent plasma. The criticism is entirely justified. What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction," Hahn <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveFDA/status/1298071620414824452">tweeted</a>.To know whether the therapy really impacts survival — and how much — researchers need to do more comparisons of plasma recipients and untreated patients.Some early data on this came from researchers at Mount Sinai in <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.20.20102236v1">May</a>, though that study hasn't yet been peer reviewed. The results showed that among hospitalized coronavirus patients, 18% of plasma recipients saw their conditions worsen two weeks after their transfusion compared to 24% of patients who didn't receive the treatment. But the study was small — only 39 patients received transfusions — and the results were only significant for patients who didn't need a ventilator. In <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.29.20162917v1">another study</a> (also not yet peer reviewed), researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that convalescent plasma reduced the mortality rate among hospitalized coronavirus patients by 57%.So far, research suggests that patients treated earlier in the course of their infection have better outcomes.A <a href="https://ajp.amjpathol.org/article/S0002-9440(20)30370-9/fulltext#%20">recent study</a> of 316 patients at Houston Methodist hospitals found that patients who received plasma transfusions within 72 hours of being admitted to the hospital had a lower risk of mortality over the next 28 days than patients who received transfusions after 72 hours had passed."We now have more evidence than ever that this century-old plasma therapy has merit, is safe, and can help reduce the death rate from this virus," Dr. James Musser, chair of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist, said in a statement.Mayo Clinic researchers also determined that the treatment was relatively safe among <a href="https://www.jci.org/articles/view/140200">5,000 adults with severe or life-threatening cases</a>. Less than 1% of the patients developed severe side effects within four hours of receiving a blood transfusion. Although transfusions always pose some risk to seriously ill patients, only four deaths were linked to the plasma therapy.<h2><keyword id="454572" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="drug-companies">Drug companies</keyword> are converting plasma into medicine</h2><div type="image" title="convalescent plasma" height="1459" width="2168" msid="77493419" hostid="261"></div>In May, a coalition of medical institutions, drug companies, nonprofits, and COVID-19 survivors launched "The Fight Is In Us" — a campaign to get more recovered coronavirus patients to donate blood. Some of that blood will be used for direct transfusions, and the rest will go toward manufacturing hyperimmune globulin, a drug built from convalescent plasma.The process of creating hyperimmune globulin involves pooling plasma from recovered patients and heat-treating it so that any remaining pathogens get destroyed. The result is a vial of medicine with consistent antibody levels that can easily be administered to patients. The drug focuses on the most common antibody found in blood — immunoglobulin G (IgG) — which usually confers long-term immunity."It's basically treated in a way that reduces the likelihood that it could pass on any infections," David Reich, president and chief operating officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, told Business Insider in April. "Something like that could be helpful, potentially, to people in the early phase of the disease or potentially as prophylaxis against the disease."Mount Sinai is working with Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based biopharmaceutical company, to <a href="https://investors.emergentbiosolutions.com/node/19686/pdf">develop a hyperimmune globulin product</a>. The group will study whether the drug can protect individuals at high risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers, from getting infected in the first place.A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-plasma-treatment-takeda-alliance-development-timeline-2020-6">coalition of 10 drug companies</a> involved in the "The Fight Is In Us" campaign is also creating a hyperimmune globulin drug. The research is led by Takeda, Japan's largest pharmaceutical company, and CSL Behring, a Pennsylvania-based biotech company. They're hoping to determine whether hyperimmune globulin improves outcomes for coronavirus patients with severe cases."Our goal here isn't to continue to produce hyperimmune globulin ad infinitum," Christopher Morabito, head of research and development for plasma-based therapies at Takeda, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-plasma-treatment-takeda-alliance-development-timeline-2020-6">previously told Business Insider</a>. "Our goal here is to have an effective therapy to bridge us to a point where either the pandemic is over because it dies out, or because there's a vaccine available, or until there are many more effective treatments for patients with this disease."The coalition hopes to secure regulatory approval from the FDA by the end of 2020. But there are plenty of hurdles: Drug quantities are still limited by the quantity of plasma people donate. Companies researching hyperimmune globulin and direct convalescent plasma treatments also still need to prove that the approaches are safe.This story has been updated with new information. It was originally published August 11, 2020.

The FDA has authorized convalescent plasma treatment for coronavirus patients — but some scientists worry it's too soon

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The best natural disinfectants include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, hot water, and some essential oils. </li><li>Evidence suggests that in some cases, many of these natural disinfectants can be as effective at killing germs as chemical cleaners like bleach. </li><li>Here's what the research says about natural disinfectants and how to use them in your home to kill germs. </li><li>This article was reviewed by <a href="https://health.tamu.edu/experts/jason-mcknight.html">Jason R. McKnight</a>, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at <a href="https://medicine.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M College of Medicine</a>. </li></ul>Natural disinfectants may be a suitable alternative to using household cleaners with strong chemicals, whether you're worried about potential <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> risks or the environmental impact. In fact, natural or plant-based disinfectants can often be as effective as chemicals, if they're used properly. However, natural options also tend to work more slowly than chemical disinfectants, so the surface must stay wet with the solution for a longer amount of time in order to effectively kill germs. In addition, all disinfectants, including natural ones, are most effective if used on a surface that has already been <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleaned with soap and water</a> to remove dirt. Here are five of the most effective natural disinfectants and how to use them in your home.<h2>1. Alcohol </h2>Alcohol is one of the most effective alternatives to chemical disinfectants, says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadique/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrei Tadique</a>, a pharmaceutical scientist and engineer at Emergent BioSolutions. Alcohol kills germs by breaking down their cell walls, but is only effective when used at a high enough concentration — about 60% or more. Many common household cleaners — such as <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-hand-sanitizer-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hand sanitizer,</a> cleaning wipes, and other <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-disinfectants-for-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disinfectants for viruses</a> — contain at least 60% alcohol. You can create a <keyword id="775645" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="disinfectant">disinfectant</keyword> alcohol solution at home by combining two parts isopropyl rubbing alcohol with one part water. Let the solution sit for at least 30 seconds before wiping clean. For more information, read about how <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-alcohol-kill-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alcohol can kill germs</a>. <h2>2. Hydrogen peroxide </h2>Hydrogen peroxide isn't as effective as some chemical disinfectants, like bleach, but it does <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/tables/table4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effectively kill viruses and bacteria</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For example, in a <a href="https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-018-0447-5#Sec13" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 study </a>published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, researchers found that hydrogen peroxide was more effective at killing some forms of bacteria than quaternary ammonium compounds, typically found in chemical disinfectants.You can use the typical <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-hydrogen-peroxide-kill-germs-and-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3% hydrogen peroxide</a> concentration found in stores as a disinfectant or you can dilute it to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/hydrogen-peroxide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.5% concentration</a>, which still has some effectiveness, by mixing 2.5 parts water and 0.5 parts 3% hydrogen peroxide. Leave the solution on the surface for at least <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/hydrogen-peroxide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one minute</a> before wiping clean so that it has enough time to effectively kill pathogens. The potency of hydrogen peroxide will reduce when it is exposed to light, so store hydrogen peroxide in a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html#Hydrogen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dark container</a> to keep it stable and effective as a disinfectant. To learn more, read about <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-hydrogen-peroxide-kill-germs-and-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how hydrogen peroxide can kill germs</a>. <h2>3. Vinegar</h2>Vinegar is commonly referred to as a natural disinfectant, and while it has some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10656352/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disinfectant properties</a>, it is not as effective as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide at killing pathogens.The <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-vinegar-kill-germs-and-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main ingredient in vinegar,</a> acetic acid, helps to <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/vinegar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">break down dirt</a> and can reduce bacteria on dirty surfaces. A <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0008987" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2010 study</a> found that 10% malt vinegar reduced the viability of the flu virus and a <a href="https://mbio.asm.org/content/5/2/e00013-14.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2014 study</a> published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology found a 10% solution effective at killing the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. White distilled vinegar typically found in grocery stores has a lower concentration of acetic acid — about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1785201/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4% to 7%</a> — but it can be combined with equal parts water and used on countertops, floors, and cupboards to kill germs. To effectively kill germs, vinegar must sit on a surface for about 30 minutes, Tadique says. For more information, read about how <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-vinegar-kill-germs-and-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vinegar can kill some germs</a>. <h2>4. Hot water</h2>Hot water can effectively kill bacteria and viruses, but the water should be at least 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/Boiling_water_01_15.pdf?ua=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization</a> (WHO). Boiling water, at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, is often used to kill pathogens when cooking or reheating food. Of course, hot water is even better when combined with soap or another disinfectant, such as when you're washing dishes or clothing. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813869/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2010 study</a> published in the Public Library of Science found that warm water at about 130 degrees Fahrenheit was not effective at killing viruses on its own, but adding a strong oxidizing agent, like bleach, disrupted the viral genome enough to prevent it from spreading. When it comes to disinfecting your clothing, wash at a temperature of at least <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-temperature-kills-germs#:~:text=Hot%20water%20kills%20germs%2C%20though,bacteria%2C%20viruses%2C%20and%20protozoa." target="_blank" rel="noopener">140 degrees Fahrenheit</a>. The dryer also helps kill germs since they range in heat from about 135 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not attempt to wash your hands or body with water at this temperature, as it can burn or irritate your skin. For more information on using hot water as a disinfectant, read about <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-temperature-kills-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what temperature kills germs</a>. <h2>5. Essential oils </h2>Some essential oils, like patchouli and cinnamon, may be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5206475/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">somewhat effective against certain strains of viruses and bacteria</a>, Tadique says, but there are better alternatives that act on a wider range of pathogens. Essential oils are thought to work by disrupting the cell membranes of viruses and bacteria, but more research is needed to learn about their chemical nature and how they can be used most effectively as disinfectants."If you're really committed to using essential oils in your cleaning regimen, I recommend using a small amount to provide fragrance to a stronger disinfecting agent like alcohol or vinegar," Tadique says. <h2>The bottom line</h2>Natural disinfectants can be as effective as chemicals in some cases, but not all cleaning products labeled as natural are equally effective. When disinfecting with natural products, make sure the concentration is high enough to be effective and you've let the solution sit long enough to kill pathogens. <h2>Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-kill-germs">How to kill germs: Everything you need to know to protect you and your loved ones from infection</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-uv-light-kill-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does UV light kill germs? Getting an at-home sanitizer may be worth it</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-make-hand-sanitizer-at-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to make your own hand sanitizer at home — and whether it can be effective</a></li></ul>

You Searched For "Emergent BioSolutions" and got 8 results

Johnson & Johnson takes over COVID-19 vaccine production at Baltimore plant after 15 million doses were ruined

John L. Dorman

European regulators are watching J&J's vaccine for unusual blood clots

Allison DeAngelis

The US is sitting on millions of unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and says it won't share them with countries that might need them more

Marianne Guenot

COVID-19 vaccine makers are scrambling to fill 5,000 vacancies as more countries approve the shots. One is even offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses for night-shift workers.

Grace Dean

Johnson & Johnson is having a very bad month - but fears of blood clots and other negative reactions are likely overblown

Aria Bendix

The US is resuming its rollout of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine after a pause to investigate blood clots

Andrew Dunn,Allison DeAngelis…

The FDA has authorized convalescent plasma treatment for coronavirus patients — but some scientists worry it's too soon

Aria Bendix

The 5 best natural disinfectants to kill germs effectively

Erin Heger