Pfizer vaccine probably linked with heart inflammation cases among young men: Israel

Israel’s Health Ministry on June 1 said that it has found a few heart inflammation or myocarditis cases among the young men probably linked with the administration of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The medical condition that was reported in the aftermath of receiving the coronavirus jabs made by Pfizer were linked to the inoculation, according to the health officials. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle which can be caused due to a viral infection but recently, it has also appeared to be a reaction to a medication. However, Pfizer has said that it has not observed a greater rate of the condition than would normally be expected in the general population.

As per the health ministry, Israel, which has been administering Pfizer’s mRNA-based jab, has reportedly also recorded at least 275 cases of myocarditis between December 2020 and May 2021 among the 5 million vaccinated people. Reportedly, according to the ministry’s disclosed findings of a study that it had commissioned to examine the cases, most recipients of the Pfizer jab who developed heart inflammation spent not more than four days in the hospital and 95% of the myocarditis cases have been classified as mild and were recorded among young men.

The study found "there is a probable link between receiving the second dose (of Pfizer) vaccine and the appearance of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30," it said in a statement.

Pfizer on Israeli health ministry’s observations

Reacting to the Israeli health ministry’s findings, Pfizer said in a statement that it has noted the observations of myocarditis but added that there is no casual link to its vaccine that has yet been established. It also said that the adverse effects of the inoculation of its COVID-19 vaccine are reviewed entirely and that Pfizer meets with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health on a regular basis to review the data.

Meanwhile, the United Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said last week that some teenagers and young adults who received the COVID-19 vaccines have also experienced heart inflammation as a side effect, and hence its advisory group has recommended further study on the rare condition. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in a statement dated May 17 stated that it has looked into the reports of heart inflammation among young vaccine recipients amid the pandemic. The condition among the young adults, predominantly male who developed inflammation of heart muscles or myocarditis.

IMAGE: PTI/AP