Israel examining potential link of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine with heart inflammation cases

Israel is examining several dozens of cases of recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine developing heart inflammation after getting the jab. Nation’s corona commissioner Nachman Ash said on Sunday in an interview with Radio 103FM, Israeli health officials are trying to determine if the cases are linked with the Pfizer shot that has now administered to over 5 million people. Ash’s remarks came after the government identified at least 62 instances where the recipients developed inflammation of the heart muscle or heart-muscle membrane, as reported by Channel 12 last week citing an Israeli health ministry study.

The heart condition after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is developed in one out of 100,000 people who received the shot. As per reports, the incidence rate for males between the age of 18 and 30 was one in 20,000. As of now, at least two people have died due to inflammation in the heart and others have recovered. Israeli health ministry told Bloomberg in an emailed response to questions that the study does not show with certainty that there is a greater rate of mortality or even an increase in heart inflammation cases.

"It looks like the benefit of the vaccine is so great that even if we do find a connection between some of the cases and the vaccine, it won't be justified to take any action regarding the vaccine," Ash said in the radio interview while adding that the information has been shared with Pfizer.

Pfizer’s response to cases of heart inflammation

As per the report, Pfizer is aware of Israeli cases of myocarditis or inflammation in the heart. It reportedly said that “We have not observed a higher rate of myocarditis than what would be expected in the general population...A causal link to the vaccine has not been established. There is no evidence at this time to conclude that myocarditis is a risk associated" with Pfizer-BioNTech's jab.

Earlier, researchers said after analysing COVID-19 test results from more than 350,000 people in the UK between December and April that one dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine decreases coronavirus infections by 65%.  The study conducted by Oxford University Office for National Statistics showed the impact of vaccination on antibody responses and new infections in a large group of adults from the general population aged 16 years and older. 

Image credits: AP