FDA to Add Warning on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines About Rare Heart-Related Side Effect

Share on Pinterest
Scott Heins/Getty Images
  • 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 in number than average.

U.S. scientists said on June 23 that there is 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee. They recommend vaccination for all Americans 12 years and older.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviewed data on over 1,200 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis in Americans following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna-NIAID COVID-19 vaccine.

Source: healthline