Sweden and Denmark have both halted the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for young people following increased reports of heart inflammation as a side effect.
Sweden’s Public Health Agency announced Wednesday it would be pausing its recommendation for Moderna’s jab for those under 30 until Dec. 1, according to CBS News. In Denmark, health authorities said Wednesday that individuals under age 18 will no longer get the Moderna shot, according to Reuters.
Denmark and Sweden have halted the use of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, following reports of possible rare side effects. https://t.co/wTCZTbzIWy
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) October 6, 2021
Swedish authorities cited rare, but increased reports of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium). The agency said those under 30 should instead get the Pfizer vaccine.
The risk is apparently higher for boys and young men after receiving the second dose of Moderna’s vaccine. Symptoms typically recede on their own, but should still be monitored by a doctor, authorities said. (RELATED: Merck Seeks Approval For Experimental COVID-19 Pill)
U.S. regulators have acknowledged a “likely association” between myocarditis and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in young people, but still strongly recommend Americans aged 12 and over get the shot. Multiple studies have indicated that the risk of myocarditis and similar side effects is still higher from the virus itself than the vaccines.