Myocarditis Risk From COVID-19 Vaccines Up To 3 times Higher From Moderna Than Pfizer: Study

Myocarditis cases hit levels two-to-three times higher in people with a second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine than the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, research shows.

American College of Cardiology released a study last week that showed that males and females between 18 and 39 with the Moderna vaccine had higher rates of pericarditis and myocarditis. However, males ages 18-29 had the highest rates after receiving the second dose of Moderna.

The National Institutes of Health reports patients experience symptoms of chest pain, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a rapid or irregular pulse, heart failure, shock or death.

Researchers pulled data from approximately 3 million people in British Columbia, Canada, and used participants over the age of 18 who were hospitalized for myocarditis, pericarditis, or myopericarditis within 21 days after having received a second Pfizer or Moderna between Jan. 1, 2021, and Sept. 9, 2021. The study excluded participants that had experienced myocarditis or pericarditis within one year before receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Within 21 days of the second dose, there were a total of 59 myocarditis cases, 21 after Pfizer and 31 after Moderna; and there were a total of 41 pericarditis cases: 21 after Pfizer and 20 after Moderna,” the study reads. “Researchers also looked at rates per million doses and the rate was 35.6 cases per million for Moderna and 12.6 per million for Pfizer—an almost threefold increase after Moderna shots vs. Pfizer.”

“Comparatively, rates of myocarditis in the general population in 2018, were 2.01 per million in people under age 40 and 2.2 per million in people over age 40,” the study added.

Guy Witberg, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at Rabin Medical Center in Petah-Tikva, Israel, said the study is “reassuring for vaccine safety,” adding it personalizes the approach to administering COVID-19 vaccines since further data shows myocarditis is a very rare adverse event after both vaccines.

[The study] should help put to rest ‘vaccine hesitancy’ due to concerns over cardiac adverse events,” Witberg said. “This is one of only a few direct comparisons of the two widely adopted mRNA vaccines, and its results have practical policy implications: for a substantial segment of the population suffering from cardiovascular disease.”

Moderna spokesman Luke Mircea-Willats emailed a statement to UPI saying, “mRNA-1273 has been administered to hundreds of millions of people worldwide and has been shown to be effective against both the original strain of the virus and its major variants.”

About the Author: Patriotman

Patriotman currently ekes out a survivalist lifestyle in a suburban northeastern state as best as he can. He has varied experience in political science, public policy, biological sciences, and higher education. Proudly Catholic and an Eagle Scout, he has no military experience and thus offers a relatable perspective for the average suburban prepper who is preparing for troubled times on the horizon with less than ideal teams and in less than ideal locations. Brushbeater Store Page: http://bit.ly/BrushbeaterStore