|
 Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition,
known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general
population.
In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December
2020 and May 2021 among more than 5 million vaccinated people, the
ministry said in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned
to examine the matter.
Most patients who experienced heart inflammation spent no more than
four days in the hospital and 95% of the cases were classified as
mild, according to the study, which the ministry said was conducted
by three teams of experts.
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.
According to the findings, such a link was observed more among men
aged 16 to 19 than in other age groups.
Pfizer said in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli
observations of myocarditis, noting that no causal link to its
vaccine has been established.
Adverse events are thoroughly reviewed and Pfizer meets regularly
with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health
to review data, it said.
Israel had held off making its 12- to 15-year-old population
eligible for the vaccines, pending the Health Ministry report. In
parallel to publishing those findings, a ministry committee approved
vaccinating the adolescents, a senior official said.
"The committee gave the green light for vaccinating 12- to
15-year-olds, and this will be possible as of next week," Nachman
Ash, Israel's pandemic-response coordinator, told Radio 103 FM. "The
efficacy of the vaccine outweighs the risk."
[to top of second column] |
 A U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention advisory group last month
recommended further study of the possibility of
a link between myocarditis and mRNA vaccines,
which include those from Pfizer and Moderna Inc.
CDC monitoring systems had not found more cases
than would be expected in the population, but
the advisory group said in a statement that
members felt healthcare providers should be made
aware of reports of a "potential adverse event."
Israel has been a world leader in its
vaccination rollout.
With COVID-19 infections down to just a handful
a day and total active cases at just 340 across
the country, the economy has fully opened,
though restrictions remain on incoming tourism.
About 55% of Israel's population has already
been vaccinated. As of Tuesday, restrictions on
social distancing and the need for special green
vaccination passes to enter certain restaurants
and venues were scrapped.
(Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Additional
reporting by Nandakumar D; Editing by Howard
Goller and Christian Schmollinger)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content
 |
