Myocarditis and pericarditis after Pfizer vaccination could be rarer in younger teens

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-02-28 03:00

International

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The rate of teens who experience rare heart conditions myocarditis or pericarditis after receiving a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could be lower in younger teens compared to those nearing adulthood, according to Canadian research. The team looked at vaccine safety surveillance data for teens aged 12-17 in Ontario, where about 1.65 million doses were administered among that age group and 77 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis meeting the diagnosis criteria were reported. Most cases were in boys, and the researchers say there was a higher rate of cases in teens aged 16-17 than in those aged 12-15. The researchers note the incidence of these conditions is very rare in both age groups, and the risk should be considered in relation to the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Media release

From: JAMA

About The Study: The results of this study of 1.65 million doses of BNT162b2 (Comirnaty [Pfizer-BioNTech]) vaccinations among adolescents in Ontario, Canada, suggest that there was variation in the reported incidence of myocarditis or pericarditis. However, the risk of these events after vaccination remains very rare and should be considered in relation to the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination.

Authors: Sarah E. Wilson, M.D., M.Sc., of Public Health Ontario in Toronto, is the corresponding author.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research JAMA, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA Pediatrics

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Public Health Ontario, Canada

Funder: This work was supported in part by Public Health Ontario; the Canadian Immunization Research Network through grant CNF 151944 from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the Public Health Agency of Canada, through the Vaccine SurveillanceWorking Party and the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force; ICES, which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care; and a Clinician-Scientist Award from the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine (Dr Kwong).

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.