Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines now carry a warning that it involves a rare risk of heart inflammation, as declared by the US drug regulator, Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As per the revisions the two vaccines increase risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) following its usage.
The warning is included in the literature of the two vaccines, more so after the use of second dose and with onset of symptoms within a few days after vaccination, the FDA said.
A panel comprising of expert advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday (Jun 23) acknowledged that there was a “likely association” between mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and an elevated risk of heart issues in adolescents and young adults.
The most common symptoms reported by patients were chest pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping.
Based on evidence, the cases were mostly concentrated on younger groups, particularly men under 30, having higher rates of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart) following vaccination with the shots from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. Most cases have occurred soon after the second shot of the two-dose regimens.
Immunization Safety Office at the CDC, said the agency has so far received reports of 1,226 cases of myocarditis, with 827 (67.5%) reported after dose two of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
Of those cases identified after second doses, 563 followed the Pfizer vaccine series. In total, that’s approximately 12.6 heart inflammation cases per million doses administered in the United States.
Among the 1,226 patients, 484 are younger than 29, and roughly two-thirds are men.
The myocarditis and pericarditis associated with vaccines are usually mild and respond well to a course of treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
