U.S. probing whether Moderna vaccine is linked to higher heart inflammation risk

• Federal health officials are looking at the Moderna vaccine to see if it’s linked to a higher risk of heart inflammation in young adults.
• A source told The Washington Post that there’s a 2.5 times higher chance of getting myocarditis in recipients of the Moderna vaccine compared to the Pfizer vaccine.
• Myocarditis is heart inflammation and can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Federal health officials are investigating the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine after new research revealed that the dose may be linked to a higher risk of heart inflammation in young adults than previously thought, according to a new report.

The joint investigation, handled by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is looking at Canadian data that links the vaccines with the heart condition called myocarditis, the Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with the review.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the heart condition is likely extremely rare, but the research being reviewed indicates there’s a potentially greater risk of heart inflammation for people who received the Moderna vaccine compared to those who took the Pfizer-BioNTech — especially for men under the age of 30.

One of the sources that reviewed the data said that there could be a 2.5 times greater chance of myocarditis in recipients of the Moderna vaccine versus the Pfizer jab, according to the paper.

In June, the FDA issued a warning label for both vaccine shots — which are also mRNA vaccines — about the increased risk of myocarditis. And several other medical and public health organizations, including the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, put out a joint statement touting the benefits of the vaccine.

“The facts are clear: this is an extremely rare side effect, and only an exceedingly small number of people will experience it after vaccination,” the statement said. “Importantly, for the young people who do, most cases are mild, and individuals recover often on their own or with minimal treatment. In addition, we know that myocarditis and pericarditis are much more common if you get COVID-19, and the risks to the heart from COVID-19 infection can be more severe.”

An FDA spokeswoman told the outlet that they would not discuss internal meetings, but said they were “absolutely committed to reviewing data” as it becomes avaialble. The CDC said it is also keeping an eye on things.

“CDC, FDA, and our vaccine safety partners are actively monitoring these reports, including reviewing data and medical records, to learn more and understand any relationship to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination,” the CDC said, according to the report.

What are the symptoms of myocarditis?

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. When there’s inflammation, it can reduce the heart’s ability to perform correctly, and create rapid or abnormal heart rhythms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Typically, an infection with a virus can cause myocarditis, but it can also be the byproduct of taking medication. Symptoms tend to be chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and rapid or irregular heartbeats.

The history of COVID-19 vaccines and side effects

This isn’t the first time a coronavirus vaccine has been linked to health issues.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was briefly paused in April after six US recipients developed a rare blood clot disorder called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis within two weeks of the single-dose jab. All were women between the ages of 18 and 48. The CDC and FDA lifted the pause shortly after concluding that the benefits of the shot outweigh the risk.

Simiarly, the AstraZeneca vaccine, popular across the world, caused some people to suffer blood clots, though health officials have called those occurences “extremely rare.”