Sweden and Denmark suspend use of Moderna vaccine in some age groups

Sweden has suspended use of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for people under 30 after reports of rare side effects, while Denmark has said it will no longer offer the shot to those under 18.

The Swedish health agency said data showed an increase in cases of myocarditis and pericarditis among children and young adults who have received the vaccine.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart and can reduce its ability to pump blood around the body. The condition can cause rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.

Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac-like structure surrounding the heart.

Symptoms include chest pain similar to that experienced by a person during a heart attack.

“The connection is especially clear when it comes to Moderna’s vaccine Spikevax, especially after the second dose,” the agency said.

It said the risk of developing such side effects was “very small”.

The agency is now recommending the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people in Sweden born in 1991 or later.

About 81,000 people in that age category who have received a dose of the Moderna vaccine will be offered a different shot for their second dose.

Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, said health officials would “follow the situation closely and act quickly to ensure that vaccinations against Covid-19 are always as safe as possible and at the same time provide effective protection” against the disease.

This week, the Swedish health agency said people between the ages of 12 and 15 would only receive the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

Denmark’s health agency also raised concerns over myocarditis in its decision to suspend the use of the Moderna vaccine for people under 18.

In April, it became the first European country to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine over concerns about rare cases of blood clots.

In July, the European Medicines Agency recommended authorising Moderna’s vaccine for children aged 12 to 17.

The decision was made six months after the EU regulator gave approval for the Moderna vaccine to be used in people over 18.

To date, the Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for children under 18 in Europe and North America.

Medicine regulators in the US and Europe have said that both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines appear linked to a rare reaction in teenagers and young adults – chest pain and heart inflammation.

The Swedish health agency said the heart symptoms “usually go away on their own”, but they must be assessed by a doctor.

The conditions are most common among young men, in connection with viral infections such as Covid-19.

The decision to suspend the Moderna vaccine is valid until December 1.