Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rare Heart Condition In Young 'Likely' Linked To mRNA Vaccines: CDC
Stat: Officials See ‘Likely Association’ Between Covid Vaccines, Rare Heart Condition
U.S. scientists said Wednesday that there was a “likely association” between mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and an elevated risk of heart issues in adolescents and young adults, the strongest statement yet on the link between the two. The evidence presented Wednesday echoes what other experts and health officials in other countries have identified: that younger groups, particularly men under 30, have higher rates of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart) following vaccination with the shots from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. Most cases have occurred soon after the second shot of the two-dose regimens. (Joseph, 6/23)
Politico: FDA To Add Warning About Rare Heart Inflammation To Moderna, Pfizer Vaccine Fact Sheets
FDA plans to "move rapidly" to add a warning to fact sheets for Pfizer and Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines about the rare risk of developing inflammatory heart conditions, an agency official said Wednesday. "Based on the available data, a warning statement in the fact sheets for both health care providers and vaccine recipients and caregivers would be warranted in this situation," Doran Fink, deputy director of FDA's vaccines division, said during a CDC advisory committee meeting on Covid vaccines. (Gardner, 6/23)
NPR: Heart Inflammation In Young Adults After COVID-19 Vaccine Is Rare, CDC Says
Most people who have experienced this side effect have recovered from symptoms and are doing well, according to data presented Wednesday at a public meeting of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. Of the 323 cases, 295 were discharged from the hospital, nine remained hospitalized as of last week and 14 were not hospitalized at all. Outcome data was missing for five of the cases. No deaths have been associated with this side effect. (Neel and Wamsley, 6/23)
NBC News: Teens, Young Adults Should Get Covid Vaccines, Despite Rare Heart Risks, CDC Advisers Urge
The benefits of Covid-19 vaccination far outweigh the risks of heart inflammation in young people, a panel of independent advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. Still, members of the group, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, agreed that a warning about the potential risk should be added to the Food and Drug Administration's official fact sheets on the vaccines. (Miller, 6/23)
