FDA Warns About 'Rare' Heart Inflammation Side Effects For Moderna, Pfizer Vaccine

On the 25th of June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an announcement that their Facts Sheets for Pfizer/BioNTech and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines now include info concerning "myocarditis" and "pericarditis."

Pericarditis and Myocarditis

Including such words on the sheets was not actually a surprise. After all, two days before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) had discovered a "likely association" between the vaccines and infrequent occurrences of pericarditis and myocarditis among younger people, as per Jemima McEvoy writing for Forbes.

So now the FDA Fact Sheets say that the two mRNA vaccines may bring "high risks of pericarditis and myocarditis, especially following the second dose." It's essential to keep in mind that pericarditis and myocarditis after the Covid-19 vaccines are still just like barely cooked steak: very scarce.

As the scientist wrote back on the 13th of June for Forbes, so far, there have been less 300 verified cases of pericarditis and myocarditis among more than 150 million fully vaccinated people in the United States. of course, Inflammation is rarely a good thing. Generally, you don't wish that one of your body parts will become inflamed as in "today would be very much better if my butt cheeks were inflamed."

Heart Inlammation After Covid-19 Vaccination

Nevertheless, to date, most of these infrequent cases of heart inlammation after Covid-19 vaccination have not been serious.

Timothy Wong, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Director of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center explained: "Most frequently there is some severe chest pain for some days and then symptoms will rapidly taper off. Some of the patients have been recommended anti-inflammatory medications, some have just made use of over-the-counter ones, and some have not used any medications to recover."

Wong also highlighted that in the cases that he has witnessed, saying even though there is inflammation, the functioning of the heart has remained OK. Measurements of the ability of the heart to pump blood like the ejection fraction were in the usual ranges.

FDA Warnings

In addition to chest pain, other likely symptoms of pericarditis and myocarditis include unusual heart rhythms or shortness of breath. Wong advised that If you notice any such symptoms after taking the Covid-19 vaccine inform your doctor.

It may not be the outcome of the vaccine and other things may be going on, so it is crucial to "be aware of one's self" and to have your doctor to examine your situation. Presently, the FDA warnings cover just the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. This doesn't automatically imply that such concerns are unique to the mRNA vaccines.

Wong accentuated that by comparison, "there have been relatively small number doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered."

Related Article: Capillary Leak Syndrome, Blood Clots Linked to Life-Threatening Side Effects of AstraZeneca Vaccine

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