The Arizona Republic

Despite death, officials say shot benefits outweigh risks

Man dies of myocarditi­s after 1st Pfizer dose

- John Bacon

A 26-year-old New Zealand man has died from myocarditi­s linked to the Pfizer vaccine, but health officials there said Monday that the benefits of the vaccine continue to “greatly outweigh” the risks.

Myocarditi­s, an inflammati­on that in some cases can limit the heart’s ability to properly pump blood, has been detected in a small number of vaccinated people. It is treatable, is not specific to COVID-19 vaccines and was a common side effect of the smallpox vaccine in the past, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The man died within two weeks of receiving his first dose, and a coroner determined that preliminar­y informatio­n has identified myocarditi­s as the probable cause of death, New Zealand’s COVID-19 Vaccine Independen­t Safety Monitoring Board said in a statement. The man had not sought medical advice or treatment for his symptoms.

“With the current available informatio­n, the board has considered that the myocarditi­s was probably due to vaccinatio­n in this individual,” the monitoring board’s statement said. “The benefits of vaccinatio­n with the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 continue to greatly outweigh the risk of such rare side effects.”

The statement added that the COVID-19 infection can itself be a cause of myocarditi­s as well as other serious illnesses. The World Health Organizati­on has said the risk of myocarditi­s due to coronaviru­s infection is actually higher than the risk after vaccinatio­n. The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, which provides independen­t scientific advice to the WHO, has concluded that in all age groups the benefits of mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna in the U.S. – in reducing hospitaliz­ations and deaths due to COVID-19 outweigh the risks.

The case was one of three the board has been reviewing since Dec. 8. The death of a 13-year-old child will require further informatio­n before a determinat­ion on the role of the vaccine can be

made, the board said. And the myocarditi­s implicated in the death of a man in his 60s was unlikely related to vaccinatio­n, according to the statement.

The CDC, in an update on myocarditi­s and the COVID-19 vaccines published last month, said the cases are rare and occur most often after the second dose. The symptoms – chest pain, shortness of breath and feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart – usually present within a week of vaccinatio­n.

Most patients who received care responded well to medicine and rest and felt better quickly. Patients can usually return to their normal daily activities after their symptoms improve, the CDC said.

“The known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complicati­ons, such as long-term health problems, hospitaliz­ation and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccinatio­n, including the possible risk of myocarditi­s,” the CDC said.

 ?? LM OTERO/AP FILE ?? The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety has concluded that in all age groups the benefits of mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna in the U.S. – in reducing hospitaliz­ations and deaths due to COVID-19 outweigh the risks.
LM OTERO/AP FILE The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety has concluded that in all age groups the benefits of mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna in the U.S. – in reducing hospitaliz­ations and deaths due to COVID-19 outweigh the risks.

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