Daily US Times: European drug regulator says heart inflammation is a “very rare” side-effect of the Covid vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
The European Medicines Agency said the side-effects of the vaccines were more common in younger men.
The medicines safety body said the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines continue to far outweigh any risks.
But patients and doctors have been advised to be aware of the symptoms of heart inflammation.
These include a feeling of breathlessness, chest pain and a pounding or fluttering heartbeat. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor.
Two conditions were linked to the vaccines -inflammation of the fluid-filled sac the heart sits in, known as pericarditis and inflammation of the heart muscle itself, known as myocarditis.
The European Medicines Agency analysis of cases found:
- Moderna – 19 cases of pericarditis and 19 case of myocarditis out of 20 million doses given
- Pfizer-BioNTech – 138 cases of pericarditis and 145 cases of myocarditis out of 177m doses given
- Five people died. The review said they were all either had other health conditions and elderly.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has also been investigating the link.
“A consistent pattern of cases occurring more frequently in young males and shortly after the second dose of the vaccines,” MHRA reported.
It reported: “These reports are extremely rare, and the events are typically mild with individuals usually recovering within a short time with standard treatment and rest.”
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