Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC: More Than 300 Cases Of Heart Inflammation In Young Adults After Jab
NBC News: Over 300 Cases Of Heart Issue After Covid Vaccination Reported In Young People, CDC Says
More than 300 cases of heart inflammation after Covid-19 vaccinations have been reported in young people, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday. "The case are rare," she said. "Over 20 million adolescents and young adults [have been] vaccinated in the United States." (Edwards, 6/17)
CNN: Myocarditis: Heart Inflammation Condition Looked Like Heart Attack In Kids, Pediatrician Says
The teenaged boys all looked like they were having heart attacks. They complained of chest pain and general discomfort, and tests looked at first as if they were suffering an acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. But they weren't. Instead, the seven youths ages 14 to 19 were suffering from a very rare type of heart inflammation. It's one that public health officials are beginning to link to Covid-19 vaccines. (Fox, 6/17)
NPR: Pfizer Vaccine In Teens And Heart Inflammation: What You Need To Know
Long before the pandemic, thousands of cases of myocarditis were diagnosed in the U.S. and around the world each year, often triggered by the body's immune response to infections. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can trigger it, and so can cold viruses, and staph and strep and HIV. Other causes include toxins and allergies. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. It's often mild enough to go unnoticed, but a full-blown case in adults can cause arrhythmias and heart failure that require careful treatment with multiple medications, and several months of strict rest. In a case study of seven teenagers who got myocarditis following vaccination published last week in the journal Pediatrics, all seven got better after routine treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. (Silberner, 6/17)
In other vaccine research —
CNN: Sperm Count Not Harmed By Covid-19 Vaccine, Study Says
If you are a man who has hesitated to get the Covid-19 vaccine due to concerns spread on social media that the vaccine may harm fertility, take heart. Sperm count and quality did not drop in healthy young men after receiving a first or second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to a new study published Thursday in JAMA. (LaMotte, 6/17)
