One day after several Scandinavian nations announced a halt to the Moderna mRNA vaccine for younger people , Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration for …
One day after several Scandinavian nations announced a halt to the Moderna mRNA vaccine for younger people, Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to administer its mRNA vaccine to children ages 5 to 11. The chief concern about the Moderna shot is the increased risk of heart inflammation, or myocarditis. And that was a stated reason, among other adverse effects, behind an FDA panel’s 16-2 vote last month against recommending Pfizer booster shots for those from ages 16 to 65. In fact, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told Bloomberg News in a report Wednesday that data indicate the risk of myocarditis is similar between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. (He insisted, though, that the risk of contracting myocarditis from COVID-19 is much greater than contracting it from the vaccine). On Thursday, Finland joined Denmark and Sweden in pausing the Moderna COVID-19 shots to men under the age of 30 due to the risk of heart inflammation. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for people age 16 and older, and has an emergency use authorization for people ages 12 to 15. Last month, a poll found nearly half of likely American voters are not confident that the COVID-19 vaccines are necessary and appropriate for children ages 5-12.
