It is known that in younger people after vaccinations with mRNA preparations, heart muscle inflammation can occur in rare cases. One of the two vaccines should therefore no longer receive under 30-year-olds in the future.
Berlin – According to the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), children from 12 as well as adolescents and adults under 30 should only be vaccinated with the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer and not with that from Moderna.
Current reporting analyzes showed that heart muscle and pericardial inflammation in this age group were observed more frequently after the Moderna vaccination (Spikevax) than after the Biontech vaccination (Comirnaty). The Stiko announced on Wednesday.
No final recommendation yet
“This recommendation applies to both the basic immunization and possible booster vaccinations.” Even if a different vaccine had previously been used, Biontech should be used for further vaccinations, it said. The panel of experts relied on safety data from the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) and international data. The Stiko also advises that pregnant women should also get Biontech regardless of age, even if there is no comparative safety data for the two vaccines for them.
It is not yet a final Stiko recommendation. The draft resolution to update the Covid-19 vaccination recommendation accordingly had gone to specialist circles and countries for a vote, it said. Changes are therefore still possible.
According to the safety reports available to date, the course of the inflammation of the heart muscle and pericardium is “predominantly mild”, explained the Stiko. As the PEI states in its safety report, the inflammation occurred especially after the second vaccination. The first discomfort would typically be noticed within a few days of the spade. The Stiko emphasized that there is no increased risk of the two inflammations for people over 30 after the Moderna vaccination.
The vaccines from Biontech / Pfizer and the US manufacturer Moderna are similar in some respects: They are both mRNA vaccines, and two doses are given for the primary vaccination. Since the introduction of both preparations, it has been known that “in rare cases” they can lead to cardiac muscle and / or pericardial inflammation in younger people, writes the Stiko. The chairman Thomas Mertens told the dpa on Wednesday that the hypothesis was that the more frequently recorded cases with the Moderna vaccine could be related to its comparatively higher mRNA dosage.
The PEI safety report lists 136 reports of cardiac muscle and pericardial inflammation in people between the ages of 18 and 29 who have been vaccinated with Moderna. Two reports concern 12 to 17 year olds. A reporting rate of 11.41 and 11.71 for the two age groups is reported for every 100,000 Moderna vaccinations.
France’s highest health authority also advises people under 30 against Moderna for the same reasons, as a recommendation by the authority emerged on Monday evening. Moderna announced on Tuesday that it had also applied to the European Medicines Agency Ema for approval for children between the ages of six and eleven. There is still no approved vaccine for children under 12 years of age in Europe. dpa
