Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Update
Written by Meghan Sable, MPH&TM, Boost Oregon’s Central Oregon Program Manager
You might be hearing about people having heart inflammation after they get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continuously monitors the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. This allows them to find any rare problems as soon as they happen. This spring, they detected an increase in cases of heart inflammation soon after people got a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.The CDC put together a group of experts to look into the issue further. The group of experts then presented their findings to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last week.
This group of experts found that these reports were rare. There were hundreds of millions of vaccine doses given, and they were able to confirm 393 cases of heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccination as of June 21, 2021. These cases were found most often in males under 30 years old, and happened within a week mostly after their second dose. The good news is that most cases were mild and people recovered without needing medical care, or with very little treatment.
Cases of heart inflammation with COVID-19 infection can be more severe and can happen more often after an infection compared to after vaccination. Because of this, the CDC ACIP panel determined that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risk of this side effect. They continue to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone age 12 and older. This is the best way to protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of COVID-19.
You should get medical care immediately if you think you or your child have chest pain, shortness of breath, or feelings of a fast beating, pounding heart within a week after COVID-19 vaccination. The group of experts will continue to pay close attention to cases of heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccination, and Boost Oregon will update this blog post as needed.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/myocarditis.html