The Israeli Ministry of Health announced today that it has identified a small number of cases of inflammation of the heart muscle in people vaccinated with the Pfizer drug against covid-19, especially young men, a condition that may be associated with the vaccine.
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced that it has observed an increased incidence of myocarditis in those who have received the vaccine compared to what is expected in the general population.
In Israel, between December 2020 and May 2021, 275 cases of myocarditis were identified among more than 5 million people vaccinated, the Ministry of Health said, announcing the results of a study requested for the subject.
Most patients with myocardial infarction did not spend more than four days in hospital and 95% of cases were mild, according to research conducted by three teams of specialists.
According to the research, "there is a possible connection between the second dose of the vaccine (Pfizer) and the occurrence of myocarditis in men aged 16 to 30 years".
Based on the data collected, the condition was more prevalent among men aged 16 to 19 years than in other age groups.
Pfizer said in a statement that it was aware of the cases of myocarditis reported in Israel, noting that no causal link had been identified between the vaccine and the condition.
The side effects are being thoroughly investigated and Pfizer is meeting regularly with the Israeli Ministry of Health's Vaccine Safety Service to review the data, the pharmaceutical company added.
Israel had postponed the vaccine covid-19 to adolescents aged 12 to 15, pending the publication of the ministry report. At the same time as the publication of these findings, a committee of the ministry approved the vaccination of the teenagers, a senior official pointed out.
"The committee has given the green light to vaccinate the 12-15 age group and this will start next week," said Nachman As, coordinator of pandemic management at 103 FM. "The effectiveness of the vaccine outweighs the risks."
An advisory team from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended in May that further investigate the possible association of myocarditis with mRNA vaccines such as those of Pfizer and Moderna.
About 55% of Israel's population has been fully vaccinated covid-19.
Source: RES-EAP