According to Lille and Besançon pharmacovigilance regional centers, the benefit-risk ratio is still positive. Yet, they noticed an increase in myocarditis cases in young men under the age of 30, especially after a second dose of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
106 cases have been reported so far since the vaccination campaign began. Symptoms of myocarditis are rather similar to flu with fever and headache, but the difference is chest pain, arrythmia or breathlessness when inactive.
This increased risk of myocarditis is more likely in men between 18 and 24 years of age. With the Pfizer vaccine, the same age group is less impacted. As for the 12-17 years old, the report considers “data suggests the same conclusion, but they are too early to be able to conclude to a potential difference between the two RNA vaccines”.
The National Agency for Medicines Safety stated “these new data do not question the Covid-19 benefit-risk ratio”, while the Haute Autorité de Santé has recommended last week to no longer use Moderna for a third shot. In Sweden, the Moderna vaccine has been halted for people under the age of 30 as a precaution.
