In this file photo, Registered Nurse Emily Enos loads the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe ahead of the distribution of vaccines in the Skid Row area of Downtown Los Angeles, California as the fight against the coronavirus pandemic continues. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)
Paris, France — The Moderna COVID-19 jab carries a slight risk of usually non-serious heart problems, a study of the entire population of Denmark found Friday.
Incidences of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) after mRNA jabs from Pfizer and Moderna had been noted in vaccine safety reports and small-scale studies.
These reports led France, Denmark, and other countries to advise against the jab for people under 30 years old.
“Vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna) was associated with a significantly increased rate of myocarditis or myopericarditis, especially among individuals aged 12-39 years,” the study said.
It said that vaccination with Pfizer was only associated with an increased risk among women.
The study published in the BMJ medical journal is the first to look at these side effects in an entire population.
While it confirms the risks, it insists they are slight and that the risks posed by coronavirus infection are greater.
It noted that among the vaccinated who developed myocarditis or pericarditis “only a few” had severe outcomes.
In the case of the 21 people diagnosed with the conditions after receiving Moderna, over half were released from the hospital within 72 hours and none died or were diagnosed with heart failure.
“Our finding of a low absolute risk of myocarditis or myopericarditis with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccination supports the overall benefits of such vaccination on an individual, societal, and global level,” the study concluded.