Reference:
Høeg, T. B., Krug, A., Stevenson, J., & Mandrola, J. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination-associated myocarditis in children ages 12-17: A stratified national database analysis. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.30.21262866
Summary:
This article investigates the incidence of myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 12-17, as reported through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). It highlights the higher rates of cardiac adverse events (CAEs) in boys aged 12-15, where the rate is 162.2 cases per million following the second dose, significantly exceeding their COVID-19 hospitalisation risk. The study found that the rates for boys aged 16-17 were also elevated at 94.0 cases per million. A harm-benefit analysis suggests that for boys without medical comorbidities, the likelihood of post-vaccination CAEs surpasses their risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation, raising concerns about the vaccination strategy in this demographic. The authors call for further research to assess the long-term implications of vaccine-associated myocarditis and consider individual health risks in vaccination recommendations.