- After reviewing data on cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in people vaccinated with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, scientists say the benefits still outweigh the risks.
- Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is inflammation of the two-layered sac surrounding the heart.
- These conditions can also occur naturally after other viral infections, but cases in people vaccinated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were slightly higher than average.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating reports that the Moderna-NIAID vaccine is associated with a higher risk of myocarditis for younger adults than previously believed, according to an August 20 story by The Washington Post.
However, even with a higher rate, this condition is still uncommon.
The data that the agencies are reviewing were provided by the Canadian government.
They suggest the rates of myocarditis after the Moderna-NIAID vaccine may be two-and-a-half times higher than after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Post reported.
The risk was greater for males under the age of 30.
The agencies are also reviewing data from the United States. One of the anonymous sources who spoke to the Post said it’s too early to reach a conclusion about the new data.
U.S. scientists said in June that there’s a “likely association” between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and a higher risk of rare heart inflammation in adolescents and young adults.
Still, the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks, said members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). They recommend vaccination for all Americans 12 years and older.
The CDC’s
Source: healthline