US CDC investigates heart inflammation reports among young COVID-19 vaccine recipients

The United Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said 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.

Even though it goes away without any complications, CDC noted that it can be caused by a variety of viruses. The monitoring systems of CDC did not find more cases than expected out of the population. However, the members of the committee on COVID-19 vaccinations felt that the healthcare providers should be made aware of the reports of the “potential adverse event.” 

Further, it did not mention how many people had been affected by the condition and recommended more investigation. The CDC said that cases typically occurred within the four days after receiving an mRNA-based vaccine. It did not mention the name of the vaccines but till now, the United States has given emergency authorisation to two mRNA vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer.

Vaccine over 80% effective against B.1.617 COVID-19 variant

As India is battling hard against the second wave of COVID-19, handling variant  B.1.617.2 has emerged as the medical fraternity’s main challenge as it has taken numerous lives in the largest democratic nation. Now, a UK study has confirmed that two doses from either the Oxford/AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccine are over 80 per cent effective in preventing infection from the B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19. The Oxford/AstraZeneca two-dose vaccine is also being produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as Covishield and is being administered among the adult population in India to protect against COVID-19.

The UK findings are said to be based on data from Public Health England (PHE) and have also revealed that the two doses provide 87 per cent protection from the B.117 variant, first discovered in the Kent region of England and also considered highly transmissible. According to ‘The Telegraph’ newspaper, the latest study's findings were presented to a meeting of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) this week.

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