As you may have all read or heard on cable news, the FDA has now confirmed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that they are soon going to add a warning statement in the label of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to alert providers, vaccine recipients, parents / caregivers of teens. Now what?
In the US, children 12 and older can and are encouraged to get vaccinated. However, there have been reports that vaccination with mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) may have caused myocarditis or pericarditis in children and young adults. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. (Side note: Does "itis" in greek mean inflammation?)
Background: The earliest report of this rare vaccine side effect was from Israel where they found teens, mainly boys experiencing inflammation of heart after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. However, after looking at the totality of the data, Israel decided to go ahead and vaccinate its children.
In the US, since April 2021, there were 1200+ reports on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of cases of myocarditis and pericarditis happening mainly after vaccination with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. One must however remember that the VAERS is a passive reporting system and relies on individuals including patients / caregivers to voluntarily send in reports of their experiences (Healthcare providers are required by law to report to the VAERS).
As of June 23, 2021, after a thorough follow up of medical record reviews, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 323 reports of pericarditis and myocarditis. The patterns that were identified included:
- Mostly in adolescent and young males 16 or older
- Typically within a week after the 2nd dose
- Chest pain is the most common presenting symptom
- Usually mild and short lasting symptoms, often does not require treatment or only minimal treatment
So, should your child get vaccinated to protect from covid? Based on all currently available information, the short answer is Yes!
Clearly, there is more to learn about any potential long term consequence of myocarditis after vaccination. However, given the rarity of this side effect (presently estimated at 12.6 heart inflammation cases per million doses), it is fair to conclude the risk of experiencing this condition is way less than the risk of getting covid infection, especially as more transmissible and infective variants gain foothold in the USA and cases amongst younger people are increasing.
What is important is to keep a close eye on symptoms post-vaccination and contact your pediatrician if your child experiences:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart
Be well,
Dr. Vani