Vaccine Safety Myocarditis

About Vaccine Safety Myocarditis

Myocarditis and pericarditis were identified as rare side effects of mRNA COVID vaccines in 2021. The risk was highest in adolescent and young adult males; one US study reported about 106 cases per million second doses among males aged 16 to 17. Most reported cases were mild and resolved, though follow up studies continue. Most studies found the risk of myocarditis after COVID infection to be higher than after vaccination, although in some analyses of young males the risks were comparable. The CDC and FDA added warnings to mRNA vaccine labels. Several Nordic countries paused use of the Moderna vaccine in young people in 2021, and the UK initially offered healthy 12 to 15 year olds a single dose. Health authorities in most countries concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks for the groups to which the vaccines were offered. The identification of myocarditis within months of vaccination demonstrated the effectiveness of vaccine safety monitoring systems like VAERS and the Vaccine Safety Datalink.