All health authorities agree that Covid vaccines are considered safe and effective. While the most common side effects triggered by the immunisation are the likes of a sore arm or a headache, a study, published in the journal Lancet today, has named two “rare” but more serious side effects – myocarditis and pericarditis.
Characterised by sharp chest pain, this discomfort can crop up when the irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other.
Based on several passive surveillance systems reporting increased risks, this study decided to use active surveillance from large health care databases.
They wanted to directly compare the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis, or both, after getting the Moderna or Pfizer jab.
Using four large US health plan claims databases, the research looked at more than 100 million people.
DON’T MISS
The research concluded: “An increased risk of myocarditis or pericarditis was observed after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and was highest in men aged 18–25 years after a second dose of the vaccine.
“However, the incidence was rare.
“Our study results, along with the benefit-risk profile, continue to support vaccination using either of the two mRNA vaccines.”
The difference between the two mRNA jabs wasn’t “statistically significant” but the team said that difference might exist.
As the researchers noted this isn’t the first study that noticed the association between myocarditis and the Covid vaccine.
The research, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), also reported that the incidence was highest after the second jab among adolescent males and young men.
Using data from a self-reporting platform, they identified that the age groups who saw the highest numbers were males aged between 12 to 15 years, males aged between 16 to 17, and young men aged 18 to 24.
These severe side effects seem to be rare and vaccines continue to be recommended for everyone eligible.
Health bodies, including the NHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), clearly state that the jabs are safe.
According to the CDC, all “the known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalisation, and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccination”.
