Guillain-Barre Syndrome was a “very rare” side effect, occurring in under one in 10,000 people, it added. The disorder is a nerve inflammation that may cause temporary paralysis and difficulty breathing. In the United States, the very rare syndrome affects an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people each year and most go on to recover.
The US Food and Drug Administration also warned in July of an “increased risk” of developing the neurological syndrome with Johnson & Johnson’s dose. Both regulators stressed that the vaccine’s benefits outweighed the potential

A study of genomes from 33 African nations and two “overseas territories,” published in the journal Science on Thursday, tracks the evolution of the pandemic across the continent and the emergence of a number of so-called Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest. One of those, beta, spread around the globe earlier this year and rendered some vaccines partially ineffective.

The “slow rollout of vaccines in most African countries creates an environment in which the virus can replicate and evolve,” the organizations said. “This will almost certainly produce additional VOCs, any of which could derail the global fight against Covid-19.”