Rare Heart Complications Linked to Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines
Health authorities have reported rare instances of heart complications, including covid symptoms such as arrhythmia, in individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA covid vaccines. These cases, though uncommon, have raised concerns about the safety of these vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has identified a higher-than-expected number of cases of heart inflammation, particularly in young people and young adults after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. The risk is estimated to be around 1 in 10,000 for those aged 12 to 39 who received their second dose.
Arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, has been observed in some of these cases. It's important to note that arrhythmia is not a known side effect of covid vaccines. However, it can be a sign of myocarditis, a very rare side effect that has been reported in some covid vaccine recipients, particularly young males after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine. This side effect has not been observed in those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the Novavax protein subunit vaccine.
The risk of myocarditis after vaccination is still much lower than the risk of heart problems from covid symptoms itself. In fact, people hospitalized with covid symptoms are more likely to experience heart problems, including arrhythmia and damage to the heart muscle.
While these heart complications are rare, health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely. The recommends that anyone with heart disease get vaccinated against covid symptoms as soon as possible, as the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. In Germany, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends an annual covid booster vaccination primarily for people aged 60 and older, those with underlying health conditions, and those with increased occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, but not generally for all adults aged 18 and over.
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