The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Wednesday that there is a possible link between the two COVID-19 vaccines and a rare side effect on the heart experienced by men, mostly young people.
The federal public health agency said more than 1,200 people who received the Pfizer or Modern vaccine developed myocardial infarction, or inflammation of the heart muscle. The effects were more pronounced in men than women and they were more noticeable after taking the second dose.
The CDC said the side effects, which include fatigue and chest pain, have been mild and that the vast majority of those diagnosed with myocardium have fully recovered. The agency concluded that despite a “potential link” between the two vaccines and myocardial infarction, the benefits of getting the vaccines far outweighed the risks.
Both Pfizer and Modern vaccines, which are given in two doses, are made using a method that uses ribonucleic acid (RNA).
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said that after announcing the results, the regulatory agency would add a warning to health care workers and those being vaccinated about the potential risk of side effects.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the White House will send 3 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine to Brazil, which deals with a single dose. The shipment, which will arrive in the city of Campinas near San Paulo, is part of President Joe Biden’s commitment to donate 80 million doses to other countries by the end of the month.
A White House official said the “scientific teams and legal and regulatory authorities” of the two countries worked together to reach an agreement on the issue.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil have been recorded over 507 thousand deaths as a result of COVID-19, ranking second in the world in terms of the number of people who lost their lives, after the United States, which has registered over 602 thousand death.
