The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel said that rate reports of heart inflammation in younger people likely are associated with the mRNA vaccines.
A committee wrapped up a daylong meeting on the issue on Wednesday. Despite their findings they are still strongly recommending that young people get the COVID vaccine.
The condition is called myocarditis and pericarditis. The inflammation of the heart muscle itself or the lining around the heart.
The concern was first identified by Israeli researchers in June. New data from the United States suggests it is a potential complication from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young people but the benefits of the vaccines still far outweigh the risk.
The CDC said preliminary reports of myocarditis and pericarditis were rare. There were only a total of 1,226 cases reported out of more than 300 million vaccines that were administered. The overall rate was 12.6 heart inflammation cases per million doses.
The majority of the cases were in teen boys and men under age 30 and most cases were mild. Data shows the risk was higher after the second dose of the vaccines and most occurred in the first five days after the second dose.
A study of 323 of the cases found of those who were hospitalized and discharged, 79% had fully recovered. Nine remained hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Read: CDC investigating heart inflammation in few young COVID vaccine recipients