Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
Well, well, well…There’s a developing story in the COVID vaccine saga. As it turns out, many researchers worldwide are drawing up links to inflammation of the heart, myocarditis, and the COVID vaccine. When I say the COVID vaccine, what I actually mean is the second dose of the vaccines that work on mRNA, which are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
It may have started as isolated reports, but the major agencies in the world are beginning to pick up on it, so it’s not just something to dismiss or neglect. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, the condition is commonest among men between the ages of 16 and 24. Women get them too, but only in rare cases.
Before I continue, let me quickly review what myocarditis is. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall. It is usually caused by a viral infection, although bacterial infections have also been implicated. And since we’re talking about viral infections, there should be one that springs to mind. Hint – it’s the same bastard virus that has claimed the lives of close to 4 million over the last year and a half. 4 million!
A severe case of the condition can lead to heart failure, abnormal heartbeat, and sudden death. Luckily for us and everyone else that has developed the condition, the kind of myocarditis caused by the virus is mild, and that usually resolves after a few days or a couple of weeks, at most.
Back to the report. According to researchers, the condition occurs between 1 in 3000 and 1 in 6000 men. That looks worrying, if I’m being honest. However, reports from the CDC in the United States and the European Medicines Agency have quenched concerns about the prevalence rate, stating that the actual number is closer to 1 in 175,000 doses of the vaccine.
It is yet to be confirmed why and how exactly the vaccine is linked to the heart condition. It may have something to do with the mRNA technology, which I should remind you has never been used before in any vaccine until the coronavirus. And it may also have something to do with the spacing of the second dose of those vaccines.
As it seems, many countries are resorting to delaying the vaccine’s second dose up to even months, as opposed to the regular two to three weeks. It will take time to be sure of the exact effects of this measure. There’s also the added advantage of more people getting one shot from the vaccine, which will, to a very reasonable level, slow down the spread and progression of the virus.
Pfizer themselves have come out to also reassure the public, stating that there are always continual tests to ensure that the vaccines are safe as possible and to identify any possible side-effects, whether short-term or long-term. So, there’s that.
There’s also the CDC and the EMA working round the clock to ensure that the vaccine is indeed as safe as possible. In fact, these bodies don’t believe it is anything to raise eyebrows about because there are still few confirmatory tests to confirm that the condition is absolutely linked to the vaccines.
All of this news and worries coming up are daily reminders that the vaccine is not perfect. No vaccine ever is, but even more so for one whose development was greatly accelerated. However, to date, there’s been nothing to worry about, except, of course, people not wanting to take them.
Stay safe. Wear a mask. Take the vaccine, please.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/06/israel-reports-link-between-rare-cases-heart-inflammation-and-covid-19-vaccination
· https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-sees-probable-link-between-pfizer-vaccine-small-number-myocarditis-cases-2021-06-01/
