“These are typically mild cases and individuals tend to recover within a short time following standard treatment and rest. The risk of myocarditis is substantially increased for those who contract COVID-19, and vaccination is the best way to protect against this,” the company’s statement continued.
Moderna’s vaccine is still being administered under the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization. The company’s application for full approval is still pending.
On Oct. 10, Iceland’s Health Directorate said the Moderna vaccine would be entirely suspended due to the risk of cardiac inflammation.
“As the supply of Pfizer vaccine is sufficient in the territory … the chief epidemiologist has decided not to use the Moderna vaccine in Iceland,” according to a statement published on the Health Directorate website.
The move was handed down due to “the increased incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis after vaccination with the Moderna vaccine, as well as with vaccination using Pfizer/BioNTech,” its statement continued.
And in Sweden, officials have “decided to pause the use of Moderna’s vaccine, Spikevax, for everyone born in 1991 and later, for precautionary reasons,” reads a statement from the Swedish health agency, according to a translation.
The agency further added there is “an increased risk of side effects such as inflammation of the heart muscle or heart sac,” noting that the risk is “very small.”
metmike: See my comments below.
The Swedish agency said the vaccine from Pfizer is recommended for these age groups instead. Its decision to suspend the Moderna vaccine is valid until Dec. 1.
In Denmark, people under 18 won’t be offered the Moderna vaccine out of precaution, the Danish Health Authority said Wednesday. It said that data show that there is a suspicion of an increased risk of heart inflammation when vaccinated with Moderna shots, although the number of cases of heart inflammation remains very low.
In non-EU member Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health urged young people under 30 to opt for the Pfizer vaccine “due to an increased risk of a rare side effect” with Moderna.
In Denmark, children and young people ages 12-17 have primarily been invited to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer.
“Based on the precautionary principle, we will in future only invite children and young people to receive this vaccine, not least in view of the fact that it is for this vaccine that the largest amount of data from use exists for children and young people, especially from the USA and Israel, Soeborg said.
metmike: This is nothing new or alarming. The vaccines are still relatively safe compared to the massive benefits for almost everybody but they are being cautious about a particular age group.
The fact that it only showed up in certain studies and certain age groups and a very small number of people suggests that it is unlikely to be serious. As one source said from the previous article.......if you want to see this isolated heart inflammation on a larger scale..........look at patients that HAVE COVID.
The vaccine, though it could trigger these isolated reactions that usually last only 2 weeks....... actually protects from that condition being much more widespread/serious and long lasting.... when you get COVID.