There are still many unknowns when it comes to the rushed COVID-19 vaccine, which is still not FDA approved. There are now more than 1,200 cases of heart inflammation in people who received messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccines.
The CDC reported those numbers during a meeting on Wednesday with their advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
More than 130 million Americans have been fully vaccinated with mRNA shots, according to the CDC, and there have been few reports of serious adverse effects. Two-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimens made by Moderna Inc. and partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE rely on the technology.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s shot was cleared for those 12 to 15 years old in May. About 2 in 10 adolescents among that age group are now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Initial safety findings from the U.S. health agency suggest real-world data is consistent with the results from the companies’ clinical trial prior to authorization.
Shares of Pfizer were down 1.1% at 12:57 p.m. in New York trading, and BioNTech shares fell 5.2%. Moderna shares were also down 6.7%.
Since April, the CDC has seen a spike in reports of myocarditis along with pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane around the heart. The cases, while rare, have occurred mostly in male teens and young adults.
“We’re observing this in younger age groups, mainly teens and early twenties,” said CDC safety expert Tom Shimabukuro. “This largely disappears when you get to older age groups.”
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