Amid concerns about inflammation of the heart muscle, or myocarditis, in young people who get Covid-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the benefits of vaccination still outweigh the risks.
Critics say the CDC analysis fails to take into account that young people have a statistical “zero” risk of death or serious illness from Covid-19 but the vaccines do have established risks, and that the full risk profile of Covid-19 vaccines is as-yet unknown.
The summary is below. Read the entire CDC article at the link below.
Summary
What is already known about this topic?
In preauthorization trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, adolescents aged 12–17 years reported local and systemic mild and moderate reactions. Myocarditis has been observed after vaccination with mRNA vaccines in postauthorization monitoring.
What is added by this report?
Local and systemic reactions after vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were commonly reported by adolescents aged 12–17 years to U.S. vaccine safety monitoring systems, especially after dose 2. A small proportion of these reactions are consistent with myocarditis.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Mild local and systemic reactions are common among adolescents following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and serious adverse events are rare. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices conducted a risk-benefit assessment and continues to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for all persons aged ≥12 years.
